


The Price of Power

by TheyWhoHaveNoName



Category: Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
Genre: F/F, F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-17
Updated: 2021-02-21
Packaged: 2021-03-12 06:01:32
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 7
Words: 23,987
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29505195
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheyWhoHaveNoName/pseuds/TheyWhoHaveNoName
Summary: An Altmer born with a rare mutation rendering her unable to regenerate her innate pool of magic on her own but instead saps the magic from living creatures around her, of course, due to this Altmer's who are known for their magic prowess, casted her out the moment she could fend for herself. Now wondering the world looking for new things to see and do she finds herself in the land of the nords, dragons and divines know what else. --- This entire thing is based on my most recent modded play through of Skyrim on a pseudo mage who's entire catch is the fact that they can't regenerate magic in any form except sapping it from people around her.
Kudos: 1





	1. New In Town

Vira slowly got off of the ship stepping onto the dock of solitude, the tall woman even for a high elf looked from her left to her right a soft hum coming from her as her violet eyes scanned the surroundings. beginning to move she stripped off her fancy hat, never having liked the thing, allowing her coiled white hair to drop down around her angular face, another hum rising from her as she shivers slightly looking up the cliff toward the large city, perhaps even the capital of the region she started the long trek up the stairs making her way toward the main gates. 

As she walked she thought of the last things her parents said to her as she came to age, especially her father. "While you might not be a perfect Altmer such as your mother or myself, you are still part of this family. you have a name to uphold." She thought that was rather funny, unable to help a small smile as she walked past the city guards as she took long steps. They never even let her use the last name, Only the name given to her. "Vira the Magic Eater" the other children had taken to calling her, as just being near her for to long slowly made people lose any ability to cast magic, even the strongest mages even coupled with the races ability to quickly regenerate magic she stopped it all. She was dangerous to them all, that's why she was exiled without being exiled officially. "Sent off to see the world." is how her father described it, but she was never one for lies and it didn't take much for her to see through it.

She stepped through the large gate proper, raising her pale eyebrows as the sight of an execution, a man stood in rags flanked by three others, one holding a large bloodstained axe. "Off with the traitor's head!" someone from the crowd that had gathered called. That's right, she forgot this entire region was currently killing each other over who got to wear the shiny crown, one backed by the entire empire and the Thalmor and the other a band of rebels who would eventually die out. though surprisingly they where giving a rather ferocious fight, a stalemate between the empire and rebels was a constant, Vira came to a stop to watch the execution, listening quietly absently looking down at her belongings six hundred coins to her name, that's how much her absence was worth to her parents, a soft snarl came from the tall woman before she looked back toward the show being but on. she looked over to her left a small girl clung to her father, apparently the brotherhood to the man soon to be headless, she tilted her head before another woman spoke, a Breton with a yellowish outfit on. "You should tell her that her uncle is scum that betrayed his High King. Best she know now, Addvar." Vira paused outright, her brow furrowing as she stared daggers at the Breton, who was she to ruin a child's view of her family? even Vira wouldn't stoop down that low and she knew she wasn't exactly a saint. she had to take a moment and release a long breath of air, she learned control and she wasn't going to loose it all of a sudden to a horrid woman. Instead she moved closer to the small girl as the execution in proper started crouching down and whispering to her. "would you like to see a magic trick?" Vira realized this was the first time she talked since she left the isles. The small girl tore her eyes away from her uncle looking to the strange Altmer woman but didn't answer. Vira took that as a silent yes as she raised her hands, a small spell, easy to cast, a bright light of different colors shined into existence in her hands, dancing in small circles and around the girl, distracting her as her uncle's head fell into a basked in front of the chopping block. The girl's father looked away, instead looking to the pair a sad smile on his face as he patted the girls head drawing her attention and mouthing a thank you to the Altmer, the crowd has dispersed and Addvar along with his daughter wandered back off further into the city, Vira stood up dispelling the magic as she sighs, she had gotten distracted again, something that seems to happen way to often to her.

She walked up the long path way to the blacksmith grumbling softly to herself before she came to a stop in front of the blacksmith who was currently sitting at the forge ringing the hammer down onto raw steel that was soon to be an imperial chest piece. "Excuse me?" he moved his eyes from his work, looking up at the Elf wearing fine clothes with a raised eyebrow. "How can I help you?" Vira took a moment to look through her belonging before handing out a handful of gold, two golden necklaces and a golden ring with a ruby imbedded in it. "would it be possible for you to create me heavy steel plate armor? no helmet." he couldn't help but stare at the thing elf, it amused him a bit that they would want heavy armor instead of something light such as their own race's armor. "Aye, I can see what I can do with that." He took the items and gold turning back to the forge as Vira turned away speaking over her shoulder. "I'll return in two days for the armor, please have it ready by that time." While it wasn't on purpose it came off as more of a demand then a suggestion, she wrinkled her nose at her own words, turning back to the man. "Take as much time as you need, I'll be in the inn whenever it is ready, and I will be by tomorrow for measurements for the armor." *she then turned and walked off without letting the man speak in response.

Entering the Inn she waited a moment for her eyes to adjust to the darker interior, as a bard sung off to her right, she made her way toward the counter of the inn, she needed to prepare for a long trip, she wanted to head for Whiterun, then begin her little "Trip" into Skyrim there properly, though it's already started in sorts. Another shiver down her spine as she looked toward the man at the counter. "Excuse me, do you have food and water skins for sell?" she questioned softly, careful to keep her voice low as to not disrupt the other patrons in the bar. The man behind the counter raised an eyebrow at her before nodding his head. "Our hero, our hero, claims a warrior's heart.." Vira glanced back at the bar for a moment before back to the barkeep. "I do yes, Welcome to the Winking Skeever by the way, here's a list of all the food I have in stock, the prices should be beside what it pertains too." Vira nodded her head in response as she looked down at the list losing herself in thought as she started to plan out how much food and water she would need. She also needed to go pick up camping equipment after this- "It's an end to the evil of all Skyrim's foes.." The bard once again made Vira lose her concentration, looking over toward the bard for a split second she swore...just out of the corner of her eye she saw someone, something perhaps it was- "Miss, have you made a choice? I've to get to other patrons." She turned back nodding her head. "Right, yes, please five venison chops and three filled water skins." her words where followed by placing down coin, a kind smile as if to apologies for taking up his time, she stood up as he moved behind the counter getting out the items she asked for, in a small satchel, taking it up she stored it away in her own belongings casting another glance toward the scribe who had just finished her song, as she moved to leave the inn, making her way across the street to the general goods store, glancing at the sign that read "Bits and Pieces" she let out a soft chuckle at the name, stepping inside Vira was meet by a warm air of spices and a colorful interior, a Redguard woman stood behind the counter leaning forward slightly as she watched the Altmer enter, Vira walking up to the counter she slowly took out what little coin she had left. "Could I get a fur cloak for the cold, a small fur and leather tent and a hood to match the cloak?" The Redguard eyed the coin before shaking her head. "Don't have enough here for all that, I can do the cloak and one of the tents at the most." Vira frowned only for a moment before giving the woman a small smile. "Please, just the cloak and fur tent then." The Redguard nodded moving into the back of the store as Vira waited patiently, she made a metal note that she didn't pay for a room so she'll have to find a place to sleep for a couple days until the armor is ready for her.

The Redguard returned into the front of the store, a bundle of equipment and a white fur cloak wrapped up into a bundle next to it as the store owner questioned curiously. "So, I've not seen you around here, you a new arrival?" Vira turned her head back to the woman nodding. "I am yes, my parents decided I needed to see the world some, so here I am....seeing the world." The Owner tilted their head slightly. "Alone? You look like a noble but most nobles don't see their kids off on their own or anything." Vira couldn't help but shrug her shoulders, her smile becoming tight. "Sadly my parents aren't most nobles, I'm here on my own yes...My name is Vira." The owner leaned back slightly in thought before reaching a hand forward to shake. "Sayma, my son Kayd might be running around outside if you see him. " Vira nodded her head, her face going back to a simple smile. "A pleasure to meet you." Sayma retracted her head going back to watching the high elf for a few moments before speaking again. "Hold on a moment please." She moved into the back of the store again before returning with a brown fur backpack and a hood to match the white fur cloak. "Here, if you're traveling alone you need as much help as you can get out here in Skyrim." Vira looked at it before slowly nodding her head. "Thank you for your kindness, I'll try my best to pay you back when I get the chance." Sayma offered a short laugh as she nodded. "Sounds like a deal, you seem like the trust worthy sort." *Vira took up her items, draping the cloak over herself and pulling the hood up with a soft pleased sigh. "Truly, thank you." Vira then slid the backpack on and collected her camping equipment, and stepping out of the store after saying a few more goodbyes, she let out a long sigh moving toward the Inn, planning to stay there until it closed and then finding a quiet spot in a alley to sleep in. This was a rather decent start to her first day within Skyrim.

The same dream as always, a dark room, an all encompassing hunger, a scream. Then she was awake again, It's always been the same dream, she had long given up trying to understand it, that isn't why she was in Skyrim. She was here for revenge, For power, For growth. Vira made her way back up toward the blacksmith after waking up, the hunger she had woken up with slowly leaving her as she walked past the random citizens, her body unconsciously devouring what little magicka these people had in them. The smith hammered away at his force glancing toward the woman as she arrived, the man stood up walking off to one side and motioning her closer. "Take off your cloak and put your arms out to your sides so I can get your measurements. Vira did as she was told, standing at her full height, as the man took her measurements he furrowed his brow as he touched at her bicep. "you're Awfully…strong for an Altmer?" It came out as both a question and a statement, she offered no reply only closing her eyes as she waited quietly, huffing softly as the man moved to take her bust size as well before stepping back nodding. "You can put your cloak back on now, y'armor will be ready before the end of the day." she couldn't help but smile at that news, the sooner she got started the better. "I see, I'll wait in the tavern then, please let me know when it's ready." she padded off in a half jog, down toward the Winking Skeever, stepping inside, thankfully at least to Vira the bard was no longer singing. she always had trouble focusing when music was playing. Vira moved to an empty chair with the emptiest and cleanest table, settling in her seat she pulled out a map, and two journals, one old and one relatively new. she opened them both beginning to look for a specific item within the older one. "...Keening...Wraith...Sunder...White Phial.." Vira started listing off artifacts, of varying legendary status, writing a new list in her own journal. she spent years before her exile that she knew was coming to hunt down the last known whereabouts of countless artifacts. She needed power. She wanted power. The key to that Vira was more then certain existed inside of the artifacts created by powerful being and people, Daedra and Aedra alike, If she could just- "What is all this?" Vira almost jumped out of her skin as she slammed the older journal closed as a young bosmer woman, dressed in leather armor, a bow half her size on her back and arrows with green leaves as feathers on the ends of the shafts. "Mara's tits, fucking- Do you mind?" Vira all but snarled before taking in a deep breath closing her eyes for a moment before glaring at the wood elf. "well, no, I don't mind, though when you see someone mumbling to themselves in the corner it's instinct to make sure they're alright, at least for me it is." Vira's expression softened slightly as she sighed. "I suppose you're right, I'm sorry." The Bosmer was taken aback a bit by a Altmer being humble and admitting when they're wrong, so taken aback that when she came back she couldn't help but smile widely, holding a hand out toward her. "I'm Daitte Mosswood, a pleasure to meet you." Vira slid her hand into Daitte's only to have it shook violently twice, before the Bosmor claimed a seat next to the Altmer, Vira going back to what she was doing as the Bosmor watched on curiously. "What is it you're doing anyway?" Vira glanced up at Daitte, finally getting a full look of her features, one of her eyes was a milky white color while the other was a deep emerald, her hair a fiery red. "Planning, I only just arrived in Skyrim and I have a long road ahead of me on what I want to do here." Daitte hummed in thought as she reached a hand over to point at the north-eastern side of the map. "what's that?" Vira glanced at the location she was being directed toward, It was the northern side of Mount Anthor, she had noticed a large statue standing on top of the mountain that she wished to view at some point. "Mount Anthor, there was a large statue on top of one of it's peaks and I want to see it at some point." Daitte nodded her head falling silent for a long bit before Vira glanced up at her questioning for a moment, stopping in her work. "What about you. why are you in Skyrim? You're a Bosmor, Valenwood is far far far south." Daitte shrugged looking away for a moment as she spoke. "Just looking for someone, got lost ended up in town last night." Vira couldn't help but tilt her head at such an odd reaction to a simple question before she pressed further. "Who? Perhaps I can help you find them?" Daitte stood up almost pushing over her chair as she turned to stare at the woman. "Really? I mean- sure! I don't want you to go out of your way though." Vira shrugged slightly as she nodded. "I don't see why not, I plan to go all over Skyrim by the time I'm done with this list, perhaps even places outside of it, so I don't see why not. though I can't leave right now, I'm waiting for my armor to be finished at the smith here in town." Daitte stared at her for a long time before furrowing her brow. "Armor? But you...don't have a weapon or a shield? I thought you where a mage?" Vira looked back down at her notes before beginning to store them away as she nods. "I am." Is all the tall woman said, finally finishing storing her things away she turned back toward the Bosmer who had sat back down, a serious expression on her face. "how much food and water do you have? Because I do not have enough septims to pay for both of us until we get a normal source of currency." Daitte shook her head taking her head. "Wood elf, remember? I can hunt wherever we go, we shouldn't have to worry about food unless we end up out in the middle of that place behind Mount Anthor where there's no game. " Vira paused for a moment humming before nodding, that was good. She thought about hunting herself but she knew very well it wasn't her cup of tea, and it most likely never could be, she'd have to get used to having her travel companion, she would have to restructure her travel plan, she'd be willing to go into more dangerous places if she has someone to watch her back, of course she wasn't sure if she could even trust the wood elf, she could just as easily stab her in the back as soon as they leave the town and got out of eye sight of the guards. Maybe take her through the less dangerous ruins around the region to determine her use and trustworthiness, then go from there. Vira's thoughts where disrupted by the wood elf placing down two places in front of them having wandered off as the high-elf hyper analyzed the situation, looking down at the food before her with a soft expression of thanks. "I'll pay you back when I can." Daitte raised an eyebrow before smirking at Vira. "Think of it as down payment for you helping me find the person I'm looking for." Vira gave two nods before beginning to eat despite the constant hunger she felt, normally eating still helped her feel full.

A few hours of planning later as Daitte played with her arrows, making sure they where perfectly made more then once, the smith arrived in the bar carrying the steel plate armor, placing it down on the table with a large smile. "There you are. though it's odd you didn't ask for a weapon or anything but an order is an order. Don't be afraid to stop by if you want something else made." Vira's face lit up at the sight of the armor nodding four times at the smith as he left she wasted no time getting the armor on, patting it twice as she grinned down, hopping up and down once or twice. the armor clanking loudly much to the dismay of the patrons inside of the bar who had managed to pull an all nighter. Vira then threw the cloak and hood over them, and then her backpack, pausing with it in her hands as she stared beginning to internally freak out. She had forgotten she only had a single tent. where was Daitte going to sleep? In the bag with her? The size different was to much for it to be comfortable in any form, glancing at Daitte who was staring back up at her from her chair, she furrowed her brow going even deeper in thought. "Do you have a tent? you don't even have a backpack, only that little bag at your waist." Daitte shook her head before waving her hand standing up as she strings the bow over her shoulder and put the last of the arrows back into the quiver resting sideways along her waist. "No, I sleep out in nature without them all the time. I'll be fine." Vira furrowed her brow even further if it was possible before she nodded twice. "Right, well. you ready to begin moving? I saved just enough for a single carriage trip to Whiterun from here." Daitte nodded once without a single word beginning to make her way out of the tavern, Vira following after her, flexing and unflexing her fingers as she felt tried to ignore the constant hunger inside of her.


	2. Overwhelming hunger

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My goal for this is to do atleast one chapter a day, following my entire play through of modded skyrim, if you haven't picked it up by now, my goal is to collect every artifact in came along with some added by mods.

Vira looked up from the book she was reading, The Book of Daedra. A account of all the Daedra lords and their domains of influence. She had to be careful, she knew Daedra well enough to know they where tricky to deal with and you need to tread carefully. They had just left the reach now entering the large planes that made up Whiterun's realm of influence, the hole left by the sky covered in a thick layer of gray clouds. It was the First of Rain's hand, so she wasn't to surprised. It was going to be raining for the next few days. Vira looked back down toward her book in quiet contemplation having stopped on Hermanus Mora, The Daedra who watched the future and past both at the same time, an exact reading of it made Vira take a mental note to deal with this Lord when she got the chance, his realm of Apocrypha was going to be a major stop in her journey when she got strong enough to force open a pathway. 

Daitte, unlike her companion, Was absently playing a bone flute she had made on the way after they had stopped for a short break from a mountain goat's rib. Pausing in her absent playing to look out over the field with a mild expression of amazement, standing up to lean slightly on the side of the carriage, the driver glancing back at them before turning his eyes back to the road. Daitte let her eyes drift across the plane toward the keep they where getting closer too, nudging the high elf who was buried inside of their book before motioning over toward the keep. Vira lifting her head she looked over before taking a roll from the side of her pack opening up to show her detailed map of the region, looking around for a bit before tapping on it. "Fort Greymoor, looks like..." Vira dug through her pack for the more recent journal flipping through pages for a few moments. "..Recently bandits have moved in, never found out who constructed it or why." Daitte nodded her head in response looking back, a soft frown slowly growing on her face as she saw a cage with a dead body placed inside up above the entrance. A man in fur armor walked the wall with a bow in hand. Vira stood, stepping over to pat the carriage driver's shoulder to get him to come to a stop. "Excuse me, this is far enough. Thank you for taking us this far." Daitte looked back with a mildly confused expression, she could see Whiterun from where they sat, maybe a fifteen minute walk. Vira climbed off the carriage after colleting her things, Daitte followed suit looking at the Altmer with even more confusion as they started making their way for the fort. "What are you doing- what are WE doing?" Vira glanced at her then pointed at the fort. "Everyone inside of that place is a bandit. they'll keep hurting people who wander to close, and the fact we where on carriage they where likely going to stop us before we even reached the gate." Daitte hadn't thought of it but the road took them right by the fort within ear shot of the man on the wall, they definitely could hear them if they got closer. "Right then, so we're....going to kill the bandits? All of them? Just the two of us?" Vira raised a hand, a deep purple swirl danced inside of the palm of her slightly closed hand, wisps of magic dancing in-between the fingers as she closed her fist, until it flashed inside of her fist she pushed outward a flame atronach coming into existence, floating slightly off of the ground. "The three of us." Daitte took in a deep breath of air as she drew an arrow from her quiver, looking upward toward where the bandit archer walked, she drew back the bow string and holding her breath as she aimed. Releasing the arrow it flew fast and straight with a ghastly whistle burying it's self into the side of the archer's neck, he fell to his knees reaching up toward the arrow as blood began to fill his lungs and a bit came out of his mouth before he fell to one side, down off into the keep with a crunch.

Vira stepped in through the archway down under the body, the flame atronach floating in behind her, the bandits now alert to the fact that one of their compatriots just died, they charged the nearest thing which just so happened to be Vira and her conjured companion. Vira's right hand flexed and closed before reopening, flames growing in the palm of her hand as a bandit charged forward she unleashed a torrent of flames into their face, their skull soon charred and unrecognizable as their screams filled the air around. Vira's stomach rumbled slightly at the sudden smell of burned flesh, much to her annoyance. The Atronach however had no qualms about the situation, spinning as they unleashed a firebolt toward a man on the wall setting his furs a blaze, gaining loud screams as the man tried to put himself out. Vira could have swore she heard the Daedra giggle at the sounds.

Daitte moved around toward the wall, stepping over the original archer she killed, tearing her arrow from his lifeless body as she moved up the wall, notching another arrow and releasing it at a heavily armored bandit that was currently rushing across the wall at her, the first one dinking off the armor, the second arrow however buried it's self just into the shoulder in-between plates of armor, causing him to stumble a moment before he let out a loud scream of anger, gripping the end of the arrow and snapping it, he gripped the handled of his greatsword with both of his hands and kept charging, Daitte moved back as she fired, but finding no ground as arrow after arrow bounced off his steel chest plate. He heaved the large steel greatsword above his head readying it to be brought down onto the little elf woman, a large shard of ice however buried it's self through the man's jaw and out the top of his helmet, covered in blood and a bit of brain matter as he stumbled forward past the elf, thanks to his momentum and off of the side of the wall onto the ground with a crunch as he landed directly on his neck, Vira looked over with a hand outstretched, the air around her hand freezing and dropping to the ground in a cold mist.

The fort fell silent, at least the outside did, the atronach disappearing in a fizzle of purple magic. Vira waited by the front of the door for Daitte as she tried to ignore the hunger still growing, she could feel her own Magicka starting to dissipate and leave her with little left. Daitte jogged up bow still in hand, nodding as she was ready the both entered the fort proper. the inside was messy and a low smoke hung to the ceiling thanks to the roaring fire off to their right, ahead of them where cages and a man who had no weapons stood with a pseudo kilt made from furs on In front of cages. Vira made her way forward the sound of her armor gaining the man's attention fire beginning to grow in his hand he moved to do the same she had done to his friend only moments before. Except this is what she was hoping for, as he unleashed the magical torrent of magic the air in front of her warped and glowed a dull blue and purple, sparks of magic disappearing against her armor and presumably into her skin, the hunger slowly died away as the man attempted to attack her with everything he had, only for his expression to slowly become that of fear as none of his spells managed to find ground against the Altmer. Daitte watched with a silent amazement before she turned her attention to the other bandits that had taken note of the combat and started moving forward, dropping two of them with three arrows, the first arrow burying it's self inside of the eye socket of the first bandit, causing him to crumple as the light left his remaining eye. the second bandit however didn't die right away, the first arrow striking his thigh causing him to fall to his hands and knees, looking up to shout something at the woman the second buried it's self inside of his mouth straight through the back of his throat causing him to drown in his own blood.

Vira held the bandit mage down, one hand firmly on his head, the other holding the hand that still tried to cast magic at her, the hunger finally left her for the first time since she's been in the region. She raised her gauntleted fist, clad in steel into the man's skull caving it in, with a wet crunch, before she stood up huffing slightly as she shook off her hand, looking around she made her way up a set of stairs, both of her hands now prepared to cast the flame spell she had used on the bandit before hand, walking upstairs, she just barely managed to move out of the way of a greatsword swing, a large orc clad in heavy iron armor glared at her through his helmet before he lunged after, swinging his giant sword again and again, each time Vira just barely managing to get out of the way. Eventually he managed to get a clean hit on the high elf, burying his sword into her side causing her to let out a yelp of pain before she gripped the blade, holding it in place as her free hand flexed, lightning beginning to crackle in her palm before she reached forward gripping the orc's metal helmet and pumping it full of electricity, the sparks jumping between the both of them, though thanks to the fact that it's Vira's spell it did no harm to the high elf, however the orc wasn't as lucky. Smoke began to rise from under the helmet as the orc finally went limp, his body charred from the voltage going through him as she stepped away huffing, she flexed her hand, a golden light beginning to flow from it as she started mending her own wounds, Daitte ran up the steps only to come to a stop at the sight of the charred orc and Vira healing her own wounds slowly putting away her bow.

the pair made their way into the highest point of the keep, a large chest rested in the corner and across the circular room was a podium and near that was a wooden door. Vira moved over toward the chest as Daitte moved over toward the door, stepping into the room she looked around for a few moments before returning with two healing potions and a flawless ruby, a dead body on the ground behind her in the doorway, some poor traveler who got taken by the bandits. Vira however was pleased with what she found, a small ring and according to the inscriptions on it, it was a ring that summoned a ghost to help fight with you. She slid it onto one of her fingers after moving the gauntlet, shortly after a spark of lightning came from the ceiling, a ghastly figure that didn't seem to have a face appeared. However they had what seemed to be royal robes, rings and a carefully engraved sword at their side. Vira was mildly amazed by such an enchantment, Daitte was less ecstatic to have a strange undead amongst them but she couldn't complain about having someone to get attacked instead of her.

Vira stood outside of the fort, looking through their shared belongings, counting up everything they found and estimating values of each before nodding twice and motioning for Daitte to follow, beginning to walk down the stone path with the wood elf and ghastly creature in tow, Dai beginning to play her bone flute as she moved with a slight skip, Vira letting her mind wander off to different things as Dai slowly stopped playing before putting the flute away in her bag, asking curiously. "So...what was that with the mage?" Vira turned her head back toward Dai before turning back toward the path In front of her as she explained. "I was born unable to regenerate magicka like other living creatures, though I can absorb some from others around me, it happens at all times...even now as we walk, My body is slowly siphoning what magic you have, thankfully you aren't a mage and need to use magic." Dai was taken aback a bit from the forthright answer expecting more of a lie or a reductants to tell her, only responding with a simple "Huh." letting the silence between the m return with ease as the pair finally arrived to Whiterun, heading into the city she was met with the sounds of life, and her stomach ever hungry, growled in response to the large amount of magicka unused by the nords and other races who have never learned a single spell in their lives. Glancing at the blacksmith talking to a man in imperial garb she walked past them, she didn't care to much for the civil war, either side didn't mean much to her in general really, Dai patted Vira's forearm motioning to the sign that read 'Drunken Huntsman' before speaking. "I'm going to be in there while you resupply or whatever it is you do." Vira nodded in response as her companion split off from her, moving into the building.

Vira made a straight path for the Tavern in town, tapping the counter twice to get the barkeeps attention. "Excuse me, I'm looking for work, do you know where I might find some?" The nord woman nodded, leaning down behind the counter for a moment before passing over a paper. "Some of the Jarl's men came by and left this bounty if that's of interest of you." Vira smiled nodding as she glanced at the paper, the bandit chief of Silent Moons Camp has been causing enough trouble that a bounty was put on him, she'd have to ask Dai what she thought about it, before her face got serious as she looked back to the tavern owner. "Would you happen to know where I could learn magic or something of the sort?" Hulda stared at the Altmer for a moment before answering the question with a deadpan stare. "Magic is for the weak. Elves, I mean. They keep to that College in Winterhold. They know their place. Of course there is Farengar. He might be the Jarl's wizard, but at least he's a Nord." Vira felt her insides boil, she thought about killing the nord as she had done the bandit orc only an hour or so before hand. She gave a smile, nodded. Bought some water and food then said her goodbyes, leaving the tavern. Hulda hadn't done anything wrong, it's just who nords are, this is their land, it can't be helped. Vira closed her eyes breathing in multiple deep breaths before she looked at her map making her way toward the Drunken huntsman, only after marking the college on her map, she had a goal of where she wanted to go now, all that was needed was to get there.


	3. The Woman with the horns

During their stay within Whiterun both Vira and Daitte had been busy doing bounties and clearing nearby ruins for items of power and use, having made a good center of profit for themselves they had bought Vira a better bow of elven craft that had runes up along the shaft of it, a orange-red glow came from them. Vira had bought herself a circlet that increased her magical capacity, she always found it odd that enchanted weapons, clothing and armor where never effected by her mutation. It's been a long moment of thought for her, she hadn't even figured out how she would go about obtaining power from artifacts she finds. Vira's train of thought was interrupted as a courier stepped closer to her as she stood in front of the Arcadia's Cauldron, a light rain having started early in the morning. "I've been looking for you. Got something I'm supposed to deliver - your hands only" The Courier then took out a letter, a golden wax seal on it. Vira took the letter in hand giving the man a smile and a nod before he ran off to deliver more letters around town, opening it to read she immediately seethed at the name of the sender, before turning her attention to a key that came out when she opened the letter.

_Dear Vira.  
It has been some time since you left your home here, I hope you are still alive and if not then I suppose this letter will be returned to me eventually in some form or another. I write to you to let you know that myself and your mother are well, I am sure you are worried about us. Moving on, Along with this letter I've left a key to a ship known as The Sea Scourge. Yes I know, the name is rather gaudy. I assumed you might find use for it as it was supposed to be taken apart and used for who knows what, I thought you might make use of the small vessel, perhaps take it apart to build a house or something of the sort, It's docked in solitude currently as the letter came with the ship. I've also wrote this letter to let you know that even here in the summerset isles we've heard stories of a Altmer mage clad in heavy armor clearing entire bandit camps with a wood elf of all things, I'm sure. I am rather surprised, I had assumed you would have found a quiet place to live within the region and fade away, however I see that I was very wrong. Remember not to disappoint, many here are watching you with great interest._

_Atheriil Stormaere_

Vira stared at the letter before her grip on it tightened, her hunger growing even as it ate the magicka from the random citizens around the elf. The Letter it's self burst into flames and quickly became nothing more then ash, putting the key away just as Dai exited the alchemy store, adjusting her pack on her as she glanced at her companion with mild curiosity as there was a dark sneer on her face as she stared downward at a pile of ash that was slowly becoming grey mud in the rain. "You alright, Vi?" Vira snapped out of her dark glare, glancing at her friend with a simple smile nod. "Mhm, Just got some rather pleasantly unpleasant news. We've a ship now apparently too as some sort of joke from my father." Dai let her head swing from one side to another. "Alright...So we going to the ship or to Winterhold?" Vira contemplated the question only for two seconds before nodding as if agreeing with herself. "We're going to take the road to solitude through the reach. Stop in Markath for supplies then head to dragon bridge and finally to solitude." Dai stared at Vira for a long moment before sighing. "I don't know how you keep track of where everything is without looking at a map. It's kinda unnerving how well you can do that." Vira only responded with a shrug as she pulled the hood up over her head and started making her way toward the gate, Wood elf in tow, waving goodbye to the smith nearest to the gate she had taken to talking to more often then not to sell different weapons and armor she collected in ruins and bandit camps.

Outside of the city the pair made their way down to the stables where they left the horses they eventually had purchased for themselves to help with getting around without the need to pay for a cart every time. Saddling up Vira lead the way, reaching into a side saddle of the horse to pull a small loaf of bread free bringing it up to her mouth to bite into it as she held onto the reigns with her free hand, looking out over the planes as she rode, The giants meandering around their camp with the tamed mammoths. Her mind drifted off toward her home in the summerset isles, well, not home. Not anymore at least, she hated the thought of the isles more then anything really, a place of false superiority now a days, the only other high elf she cared even if a small amount was her mother who was at least kind to her when she could be but never protected her like a mother should. Vira took another bite of the bread. Her entire life the people there treated her like a monster, a being that should either be controlled and used or killed and discarded, She was harder to kill then they thought. Then her father thought. The first attempt didn't come from her parents or any grown-up at the time, but the children who where far more cruel then one would think. They attempted to drown her one day as she followed them around attempting to join in the games that required magic, tossing a simple magelight from one to another. With her around none of the kids could even summon the energy to have it appear in their hand, let alone throw it to another. She did that for weeks until they finally had enough, lead her to the docks and "accidently" pushed her in, she couldn't swim for anyone else they'd have drowned then and there. In my panic the hunger grew so strong that it had started to hurt me, then it happened, the water began to boil around her but it never hurt, eventually a purple rift opened underneath her, and she passed out. That's only ever happened twice in her life. Then and moments before she left home, She had awoke on the pier. One of the kids was bleeding from a gnash along his sides, the others looked terrified and the guards at the time had their weapons aimed at her. So she did what any confused six year old would do. She cried for her parents.

Vira was torn from her thoughts as Dai whistled to get her attention having moved to ride along side instead of just behind, nudging her head in the direction of a dip in the path, a valley of sorts that indicated they where entering The Reach. Though that isn't what Dai was attempting to draw attention too, instead it was the small camp up on the ridge, tents made of saber and deer furs. Bones protruded through different angles of the tents, wooden barricades with sharp ends line the outer rim of the camp. The Forsworn, a group of Breton natives who apparently have lived in the reach for as long as The Reach has existed. Vira considered their options before giving a nod and turning their horses toward the encampment, riding near the entrance they left their beasts of burden tired to a old stump, before beginning to make their way toward the forsworn camp.

A arrow whizzed by Vira's head landing off behind her and snapping against a rock, before the forsworn could notch another arrow, an Icicle pierced through his chest cavity sending him backwards into the dirt. A particularly zealous forsworn charged at Dai with two gnarly bone and wood axes, swinging violently the wood elf was just nimble enough to continue to dodge out of the way before stepping forward and under his right arm driving her elven dagger into the Breton's ribcage piercing his heart causing him to stumble before crumpling to the ground. Another cry of rage as more and more foresworn poured out of the camp, the two fighting their best but where slowly beginning to become overwhelmed began to move back into the far east corner of the camp, Vira keeping the foresworn at a distance with her constant use of the flames spell and a Ice wall spell she bought from the court wizard, in one of the cages behind the two, an imposingly large foresworn woman was bound by heavy chains, around her neck, arms and legs with barely any room for movement at all and was simply staring at the two combatants, Dai crouching over to look at her as Vira held back the forsworn.

Dai let out a long sigh as she looked at the woman then back at the group, then back toward the woman. "Alright, you seem to be a prisoner or something of the sort. So if I let you out, you'll help us right?" The Woman said nothing but stared intensely at the wood elf. "Taking the silence as a yes." Dai removed a lockpick from her bag and began to fiddle with the lock until it clicked and the door swung open, Then moving to crouch over the foresworn she set about undoing the chains that bound her, up closer the woman and a two very small goat horns growing from her head, both had been filled down recently. The moment the large Breton was free she rubbed her wrist, then stood up after almost shoving Dai out of the way, walking over to a nearby table she broke it before picking up two large and jagged pieces of wood and moving beside Vira who glanced over at the Breton then at Dai who only gave a shrug as an answer to the unspoken question before turning back to the foresworn, she destroyed her own ice wall, switching instead to volts of lightning as Dai began to loose arrows into the small crowd of savages. Meanwhile the Breton charged forward into the group driving one of the jagged planks into a foresworn's eye causing him to go limp before she lifted him up over her head and threw him into another with a crunch coming from the man who was thrown as he landed on his neck at an angle. Vira took note of the horns and just how tall this woman was for a Breton of all things, even taller then herself as an Altmer, before her attention went back to the fight the three of them now where turning the tide of.

The horned woman gripped the last foresworn who had tried to run away by the back of his hair, pulling him closer into her hands and wrapping her hands on either side of his head beginning to squeeze and squeeze until it eventually cracked and caved in, becoming nothing but bone fragments, blood and brain matter in-between her hands letting him slump to the ground afterwards, turning to look at the two who had freed her she made no move to speak, keeping her eyes trained on them as Vira stared back before clearing her throat. "I'm Vira, This is Daitte." motioning with a hand to the small wood elf beside her. "You are?" Vira prodded hoping to at least get a name, the horned woman let air out through her nose before raising a bloodied hand to point at the horns poking out of her long blonde hair that was poorly kept and reached the small of the large woman's back. If Vira had to guess this woman was around half the size of a giant if not a bit more. "...Horns?" Dai offered helpfully as Horns gave a single nod in response. "...very uh...creative." Dai let out a nervous laugh as she leaned near Vira lowering her voice to a whisper. "What do you think they are?" Vira offered a shrug watching Horns for a few moments before whispering back. "I don't know, Perhaps a half breed. Foresworn are known for combining things ala their Hagraven matriarchs." Dai looked up at Vira with a blank expression. "What in oblivion is a 'Hagraven'?" Vira rolled her head before beginning to explain. "They're witches who have taken on the aspects of a well, raven, a pact with some old god some believe to gain access to ancient powers." Dai raised her eyebrows struggling to imagine what a woman mixed with a bird would look like. Horns lifted up a greatsword from one of the dead foresworn, what looked to be a mammoth's leg bone shaved until it was sharp enough to cut skin. looking over toward the two she approached crossing her arms. as Vira offered her hand outward. "Well you're free to go on your way, thank you for your assistance- though actually.." Vira looked at Dai and then herself, neither of them where combatants in the truest sense. She could take a hit or two but never anything more then that before she crumpled, and Dai didn't even wear anything heavier then animal hides and leather, she doubted the wood elf could take a clean blow, They needed someone who could actually fight and who better then a half-thing with more muscle then needed? "Why don't you come with us? it seems your uh...family here didn't exactly like you, you could travel with us." Horns stared at the High elf and then down at their outstretched gauntleted hand, reaching out and taking it, her hand almost covering Vira's giving it a single shake as she finally talks, her voice deep and guttural yet a sense of intelligence that couldn't be determined simply by watching them. "Very well, Elf."

Dai was quietly seething as she had to share her horse with Horns, Dai stuck In front of the large woman as she held onto the reigns grumbling to herself. Horns however didn't pay mind to the small woman's disgruntled behavior, instead keeping an eye to the ridge and their surroundings being wary of her surroundings. Clad in light leathers and light furs, Vira stared ahead set on getting to Markath, and eventually the dwarven city was in view, along with a khajiit caravan Vira had noticed from time to time stopping In front of Whiterun. Moving past them, the three came to a rest near the stables, climbing off their respective beasts of burden and letting them wonder off to the side to begin eating the grass that was visible, the three started making their way into Markath. The guards giving odd looks to Horns as he moved passed them, paying no mind, The three looking around curiously as Dai started to make a beeline for the tavern. "Going to drink, since we're breaking here and staying the night I'd like to get a nice warm drink and crawl into a even warmer bed!" Horns and Vira watched her leave before Horns started to wander after the loud Bosmor slowly, Vira looking at her surroundings before watching a man draw a dagger, moving close behind a woman he yelled out "For the Forsworn!" before driving it up through her chest cavity. Vira made no move to help the woman, it had nothing to do with her and she did not care enough to help as she would gain nothing for doing so. Since she couldn't regenerate her magic she wasn't going to risk it especially not for a woman she's never met before, she moved across the small bridge toward the tavern where her companions had went. Ignoring the man who attempted to talk to her about what had just happened she entered with a soft sigh.

Having paid for a room for the night, the trio sat in the room, Vira finally out of her armor, now in a simple pair of robes, Dai in a simple outfit with a white shirt that had laces at the top, followed by a black set of pants and boots. Horns out of the three wore her leather and fur armor, laying on the floor having deemed that to be more comfortable then the stone beds. Dai laid back crossing her hands behind her head as she glanced at the two before speaking to Vira. "So- you never explained it to me. Why you want all of these artifacts and stuff, I mean yeah they're all cool and neat and such. But you want them for a reason right?" Vira stared over at Dai quietly for a few moments before nodding. "For Revenge. I want to become as powerful as I can then return home to kill my Father." Dai sat up a bit to look at her blinking twice before blowing out a long breath of air. "Divines...what a reason." Vira crossed her arms as she tilted her head. "What about you? you said you where in Skyrim looking for someone. Who is it?" Dai went quiet for a few moments before clearing her throat as she answers. "My Brother, My twin actually. He uh...Went missing while acting as a mercenary for some wealthy merchants coming into Skyrim, I came by ship all the way from Valenwood to Solitude where I ran into you...As far as I know is that he came to this providence, he was in Skyrim, but nothing more then that." Vira nodded as she listened before tapping her fingers on the side of the stone bed. "Well, if he's your twin then we just need to look for you but male, we can begin in solitude when we arrive, after checking on the ship to see how poor of a state it's in." Horns turned over so she was on her back staring up blankly at the ceiling, drawing the attention of Vira for a moment. "What about you er...Horns? Why did they have you in a cage bound like that?" The Foresworn turned her eyes up toward the voice before looking back to the ceiling. "I killed the chief after they attempted to harm a travelers child, we attack their trade carriage, and killed the parents. The chief wanted the child dead as well. I refused to allow this. I fought my kin, many of them die, Chief included, they bind me and wait for a raven to come and decide my fate, Though the huntsman has different ideas for me it seems." Vira stared for a few moments before nodding. Whatever Horns was, she was intelligent and had a moral compass, it's important to note that, Dai is around the same in morality if not a bit more willing to do what she has to for survival. Vira laid back yawning, as she started to drift off back into the nightmare she had gotten used too.

A endless expanse surrounded Vira on all sides, the holes left by the Magna Ge sparkled in the ever empty, Vira slowly spun and flowed in the weightlessness of her presence, looking down at herself, she could feel the hunger, she could see the the hole it was every filling inside of her soul, she was missing something and her soul reached out desperately to fill it with whatever she could reach, People, animals, anything that had even a small amount of Magicka was a prey for the hunger. Vira so distracted by this whole in her soul, she didn't notice the giant hole that was Magnus, the sun and the architect of Mundus, and the source of all magic was there. She could feel him, and she could feel the hunger reaching out attempting to consume as it always did, and it hurt, the sheer amount hurt her, it was to much. To much for a little mortal who couldn't handle such an overflow of magicka. She squeezed her eyes shut as she heard a voice whisper into her ear like a mother soothing a child during a fit of fear. "Grik los lund do dovah. Wah kron ahrk du..." Ancient words that held no meaning to her, she didn't understand it, but she felt it, words that held more power then any spell, words that meant more then any belief. Vira shook awake with a start, a cold sweet on the woman's brow. She never had this dream before, Vira sighed before laying back, crossing her hands behind her head in quiet thought, glancing toward her sleeping companions, Dai having rolled off the bed and onto the floor, and Horns laid with her arms outstretched on either side of her, she grumbled in her sleep. Vira closed her eyes hoping to drift off into sleep again, another thing to try and understand about herself. That reminded her she needs to go check with the court wizard in the morning, she wants to see about getting something enchanted.


	4. The Sea Scourge

Vira pulled her hood up further over her head as rain pelted the trio, back on their respective horses. Once again Dai ended up stuck on the horse in front of Horns, who was the one leading the horse this time around. Dai this time around wasn't complaining, she was freezing being this far north so having someone to give warmth was a plus in the Bosmer's eyes. Vira however wasn't doing to well in the cold, used to the warm isles from her home. Thankfully before she left Markath she bought a new cloak that was thicker then the one she came to Skyrim with, along with that she got an enchantment placed on her journal, all that was really left was to make sure the enchantment and the bound Daedra would hold and not break at an horrible time. Vira glanced toward the two riding slightly in front of her, Horns now wearing a thick saber cat cloak and a matching hood made from it's head, Dai wrapped up in two small cloaks leaning back into Horns as she shivered. Vira waved a hand as she kept the other on the reigns, bending forward slightly as the journal appeared in her hand, flipping open on it's own as a detailed map appeared on the pages, a glowing mark in the northern west side of the map. Vira grinned slightly, well it was working at the least, it showed where they where and showed their goal through a clever use of the clairvoyance spell. Just near solitude on the map was a white-gold glowing point, the Sea scourge where they were heading for.

**Vira:** "Do you two wish to stop somewhere to wait out this storm? I believe it is going to get worse." **[Sound of heavy rain.]**

**Daitte:** "Divines, Yes! This storm can bite my ass, I don't know how nords stand this! I want to go back to Valenwood when this is done. Fuck the cold."

Vira glanced down at the Journal as she spoke, her grin turning into a smile as it marked down the words that where spoken between the two. She didn't have to keep track of everything on her own now, at least now she could look back on everything said around her or the journal incase it's needed to for some reason. Vira waved a hand as the journal disappeared in a purple fire. Moving the now free hand to grip the reign before she looked around for a few moments before spotting a nearby cave, tugging the reigns off to her right continuing to think to herself. They had just cleared a bandit camp, and according to her map the closest cave was across the river which wasn't an option in this torrent. Vira nodded to herself, it was time to test out a new spell she had picked up from a merchant in Markath. Climbing down off the horse after getting up against the rock cliff near the road, Horns followed in her movements hopping off of the horse and tucking the wood-elf under her arm. Vira started to cast a spell, a purple light beginning to emit from the woman's hands, runes appearing on the ground around her spinning and shifting before they pushed outward until there was a perfect circle under the elf. Vira slammed her hand down into the center before the rain above them started to pelt the top of a violet dome that seemed to shimmer and shift, a bed, carpet, a table with a lit candle and three chairs, even a fireplace appeared inside of the relatively large sized dome. Vira shook her hair after moving the hood off.

**Vira:** "It wasn't meant for three people so we'll have to make do with one bed-..." **[Shuffling followed by a muffled thud.]**

**Vira:** "Or you can just climb into the bed, I suppose I'll get the fireplace going. Also to note that after twelve hours everything here will disappear, Enjoy it while it lasts."

Vira knelt down to the fireplace, glancing up the grey colored sky, it was around maybe noon at this point, but the storm gave them no choice. If they rested now then they could keep moving early in the morning. Vira glanced over toward where Dai was currently laying in the bed already under the covers along with the two cloaks. Horns was sitting on the carpet eating a venison chop they had prepared earlier. Vira turned back toward the fireplace, putting in five logs of firewood taken from Dai's pack while she did nothing to help before she casted flames beginning to light the fireplace and trap the warmth inside with them with a happy sigh, standing up and moving to one of the chairs she pulled a book free from her bag flipping it open, glancing at horns who was now just staring into the flames of the fireplace. Vira had noticed another thing, since the day they freed Horns, her well horns have been growing at a steady pace. They reminded Vira of a goat's or perhaps a cow's, they where ridged and had started to curl from their spot just above Horns' forehead, Vira summoned the journal again in a small flash of purple fire, placing it down on the table as it flipped open.

**Vira:** "Horns? what are you exactly anyway?"

**Horns:** "I do not know."

**Vira:** "You...Don't know?"

**Horns** : "That is what I just said, Yes."

**Vira:** "Didn't you have parents or a guardian to tell you what you are? Surely the foresworn who imprisoned you knew."

Horns fell silent, staring intensely at the flames of the fireplace. Vira stared for a few moments before looking down at the book in her hands. _"_ _The Doors of Oblivion"_ A story of a mage who created a more classic book called _"On Oblivion"_ , Vira couldn't help but smile slightly as she thought on it. Conjuration was a beautiful school, It allowed for so much, and so few people actually understood it. This author was a master on it, and Vira would be one day. Or she would die on the way. Her brow rose slightly as she read the book as a snippet she hadn't even heard of, or known about until right now. 

_"_ _Conjuration, for the layman unacquainted with its workings, connects the caster's mind with that of the summoned. It is a tenuous link, meant only to lure, hold, and dismiss, but in the hands of a Master, it can be much stronger. The Psijics and Dwemer can (in the Dwemer's case, perhaps I should say, could) connect with the minds of others, and converse miles apart - a skill that is sometimes called telepathy."_

She stared at it for a long time before humming. Telepathy would be useful amongst her companions at least, that way they can head off on different task without needing to be near each other, though however she was not a combatant and she knew it, she needed them more then they needed her. Strength in numbers as some would say. Her eyes narrowed slightly, another section from the book caught her attention more then the comment on telepathy.

" _Morian Zenas described to me an endless library, shelves stretching on in every direction, stacks on top of stacks. Pages floated on a mystical wind that he could not feel. Every book had a black cover with no title. He could see no one, but felt the presence of ghosts moving through the stacks, rifling through books, ever searching. It was Apocrypha. The home of Hermaeus-Mora, where all forbidden knowledge can be found. I felt a shudder in my mind, but I could not tell if it was my master's or mine."_

This was the second time she saw something referencing the god and the plane he held dominion on, She wanted power through knowledge. To that end she would kill however many people and whoever she needed too. That was something she would never budge on, She would defy even the Lords of Oblivion if need be to get what she wanted, and this plane. Apocrypha. She would head there when she could and learn as much as she could. She didn't know if she could fight off the insanity that Zenas failed too, but she would try for her goal. Closing the book after finishing it, she stored it away in her bag. Looking over toward Horns again the Foresworn had laid on the carpet and drifted off. A soft snore came from the bed where Dai slept, Vira sighed leaning back into her chair as she looked upward toward the sky that had slowly started to darken, the fire providing a small amount of light to the inside of the dome, Vira leaned back closing her eyes.

**The Sea of Ghost**

The Storm rocked the boat, the cold water splatter the dock, His eyes struggled to adjust to the dark, gripping onto the lantern as he tried his best to steer as his comrades ran about the boat adjusting the sails against the rain as they where blow wildly off course. a particularly large wave came up from the sea, he had only just noticed it before it slammed into the side of the ship, lifting it and smashing it against a nearby rock. Weightlessness came to him as he was thrown into the air his breath caught in his chest before he splashed into the cold water, his breath quickly forced out of him by the cold grasp of the water. His vision darkened as he watched the moon getting further and further away as he sunk deep into the depths, the last thing he saw was his amulet drifting in front of the moon, the outline shining into his vision before he lost consciousness completely.

**The Haafinheim (Solitude hold)**

Vira had woken the part up early in the morning, before even Magnus could rise up into the sky. The three ate in silence before saddling back up, making their way through dragon bridge and stopping briefly in the in to top off on food and water before continuing the rest of the way to solitude it's self, Dai heading into the town for more arrows and to see if she could find a better bow while Horns and Vira went to the docks to look for the Sea Scourge, eventually leaving the docks to walk under the natural large entryway to part around the northern shore side and finding a rather old looking ship with dark purple and blue sails sitting in the water rocking slightly. The ship was run down and in a bad shape, Vira could swear she saw a hole in it. Waving a hand the journal appeared in her hand flipping open.

**Vira:** "Well. At least it floats, and it's rather large, probably a old cargo ship due to the lack of any weaponry, I'll make a list of everything we need to repair it, how about you go look through what's left in the hold."

**Horns:** "Alright." **[Heavy footfalls on wood.]**

Vira followed after Horns, making notes of the lack of ropes to angle the sails, some of the planks where old, they'd need to replace them completely, and find a crew for the ship it's self. Though this train of thought was disrupted a call for her attention.

**Horns:** "Vira! Get down here." **[A Muffled voice]**

Vira went down into the ship proper, looking around for Horns, curious as to why a ship like this had so many different rooms. Eventually finding her large friend crouched over a crate with it's top ripped off slightly. 

**Horns:** "Look." 

Vira got closer looking into the crate and raising her eyebrows at what she saw. at least twenty five bars of steel, This ship still hard cargo when it was decommissioned. If it was a mistake then someone's head was going to roll for the lost of the items. Vira stood up looking around at the almost fifty other crates in the hold, a large smile beginning to grow on her face, patting Horns' shoulder.

**Vira:** "Looks like we'll have more then enough gold to get a crew if we sell all these. Divines we could even redecorate some of the rooms for us."

**Daitte:** "Guuuyyyyyyysssssssss. You down there? I got some more food."

**Vira:** "I'll head to the docks to see if I can look about hiring a crew for our ship."

Horns gave a single nod in response, standing up and beginning to head up toward where Dai was. Finding the elf sitting on the deck with a bundle of food in front of her along with three filled waterskins, sitting down the three began to eat. A general conversation picking up for a few moments before Horns stood up looking around and sniffing quietly, walking over to the edge of deck and gripping the railing she looked back and forth still sniffing as she stared at the seemingly endless ocean.

**Vira:** "you see something?"

**Horns:** "Smell something, almost like blood but...Someone's in the water."

Vira and Dai stood up walking to either side of Horns as she looked off into the water for a few moments before spotting someone clinging to a barrel in the water, slowly floating closer and closer to the shore. Dai stepped back and walked around heading for the walkway that lead up onto the Sea Scourge. Dai stopped for a second to stare at them.

Daitte: "What are you waiting for? come on, he might still be alive."

With that she continued, Horns glanced at Vira only to give a shrug and follow after the bosmer Vira following suit shortly after. Now at the edge of the water, Vira's left hand glowed orange-yellow as she reached out using her magicka to tug at the barrel floating the man closer to them just close enough for Horns to reach out and pick the man up out of the water, laying him out on the shore. The man was an imperial, a slight tan to his skin and his hair pulled into thick numerous dreads. Around his neck was a amulet that seemed to be made from some sort of bird skull, gaining a hum from Vira. 

**Vira** : "Looks like a bonehawk."

**Daitte** : "A what? Are you just making up things?"

Vira just gave Daitte a deadpan stare as Horns placed a hand on the man's chest. 

**Horns** : "He's still alive. He has a heart beat."

Vira turned her attention back down to the man as her hands glowed with a golden light, kneeling down she placed a hand on his chest where Horns had felt for a heart beat, only taking a second to note how firm his pecs where before beginning to cast healing hands, healing what damage she couldn't see on the man. He shifted, sitting up suddenly and leaning to the side spitting up salt water before coughing violently falling back and passing into unconsciousness again. The trio just stared at the small event before looking at each other and nodding. 

**Vira** : "I'll lock up the ship."

**Horns** : "I'll carry him to the inn in town."

**Daitte** : "I'll follow Horns and make sure she doesn't get lost on the way."

Both Vira and Horns stared at Daitte, the bosmer coughing a moment before looking between the two.

**Daitte** : "I mean, I'll help Vira lock up the ship?"

Horns nodded heading toward town with the man over her shoulder, Vira unable to help a simple chuckle gaining a quiet groan from Daitte as she walked back onto the ship with Vira moving to lean on the railing. Glancing back to look at Vira as she asks quietly.

**Daitte** : "we're...friends right? Is that what we are? I mean, I feel like we're more then travel companions now, but I don't know, it might just be me."

**[A long pause of silence, the sounds of waves against a shore and birds flying over head.]**

**Vira:** "I can't honestly answer that, I've never had friends before. I'd like to think so yes."

**Daitte** : "Then we are, aren't we?" **[A soft laugh, footfalls on wood, then the sound of cloth on cloth.]**

**Vira:** "Why are you doing that?"

**Daitte** : "It's called a hug, it's what friends do."

**Vira** : "I know what a hug is, I mean why are you hugging me right now?"

**Daitte:** "Cause I want to?"

Vira pulled out of the hug with a strange look on her face before she looked around motioning toward the path back toward the dock. 

**Vira** : "We should be heading back to make sure Horns doesn't accidently kill the poor guy, you know how rough she is."

Vira then turned and walked down the small pier, Dai following close at hand with a quiet hum. The pair make their way back through the dock and up toward the city proper, heading through the gate they beeline for the Winking Skeever. Inside the tavern Horns was no where to be seen, walking up to the counter the barkeep pointed them in the direction of where their large friend and rescue went to rest. Eventually finding the correct room after a small mishap with one of the other patrons who got a room in town, they found Horns sitting on the ground in front of the bed as the man was tucked in tightly. The Three looked at each other before shrugging, finding their own spots around the spacious room and settling in for the rest of the evening, Daitte carving more arrows, Horns eating some venison she bought from the tavernkeep, and Vira pulled a book from her bag and began reading it as she sat quietly.


	5. Well, that's new

Horns sat on the bed with her arms crossed over her chest, glancing at the still sleeping man with a silent grunt before looking around the room in mild boredom. Daitte and Vira had left that morning to prepare the ship, get crew and prepare to head east along the coast toward Dawnstar. Horns fought back a general sigh before opening her pack beginning to look through it for something to do in the middle of the stone city. Only to sit up slightly when she heard movement from the bed, turning her gaze toward the man who had set up slightly, squinting his eyes for a few moment in an attempt to get them to adjust faster before he slowly scanned the room around him. His golden eyes peer at Horns empty black eyes, gaining a simple "oh" from the Foresworn before his eyes blinked twice, the light and realization coming to him as he stared at the seated woman, then to the horns coming from her head that had grown even further, now starting to curl on either side of her. ".....Wh...what?" The question hanged in the air for a long time like the smell of wet grass after a rainstorm, when he received no answer from Horns he started to sit up only to be winded by a pain in his abdomen, laying back onto the bed and bringing a hand to his abdomen feeling the texture of cotton. He lifted the covers for a moment in an attempt to access the damage that was done, his entire abdomen and most of his chest was heavily bandaged. The man let out a sigh as he let his head fall back onto the bed, a hand reaching up toward his amulet to play with the bonehawk skull. "You've a name?" He had turned his eyes back to the large woman staring at him from her spot on the bed, making note of her tribal like clothing style. Not getting an answer he decided to press forward. "I'm Strowe." Strowe attempted to lift a hand in a position to shake it only to groan in pain, letting it fall down next to him with a sigh closing his eyes shortly after. "Horns." Strowe's eyes opened to peer at Horns after hearing her voice, surprising him by how smooth it sounded despite the rough exterior. "Right...where am I?" Horns just blew air through her nose as she got up from the bed, moving to sit against the wall next to the door, staring at the man all the while offering no other response. Strowe leaned back into the bed closing his eyes after not getting an answer at least he wasn't at the bottom of the sea.

Vira had her arms on her hips as she watched the last of the crew get onboard of the Sea Scourge, beginning to repairs and told the estimate time for it would be around a week she decided that they could continue resting in Solitude for the time being, and to use that time to read up on the Daedra, maybe even visit the court wizard to learn a few new spells with what gold they had left from their first round of ruin clearing. Vira rolled her shoulder for a moment before she turned beginning to make her way back up through the large docks heading for the gate proper digging through her pack for a few moments before pulling out a small sweet pastry, beginning to eat as she hummed happily. Her trip so far into Skyrim had been going decent except a few close calls but nothing to freak out over. Only after she had finished eating the last of her treat that she fell to her knees, bracing herself with her hands as she stared at the stone work of the road. She hadn't even felt that she was falling, only that it happened. Then the overwhelming hunger that had been only every now and then stabbed through her like a hot dagger. Gasping she stood up, her mouth watering now as she slowly got to her feet beginning to wonder back into town. Ignoring the guard who had asked if she was alright after she fell, wandering past the Winking Skeever. She stared off, her eyes dull only snapping out of it as a strange looking beggar bumped into her, blinking twice as the beggar gripped her shoulders. "Please! Please, take pity on an old madman!" Vira stared at the man before shrugging his hands off of her, he smelled delicious, of intense Magicka. "what do you need?" The mad man smiled as he nodded repeatedly pulling a...hip bone from behind him placing it into Vira's hands. "My master has abandoned me! Abandoned his people. And nothing I say can change his mind. Now he refuses to even see me. He says I interrupt his vacation!" Vira tilted her head at the bone being shoved into her hands, and at the man himself, his eyes had sunken and held no color. "The abandoned wing of the blue palace! please! bring the master home!" Vira continued to stare, if his master smelled the exact same she could feed on it, on them. it would be so easy to kill this man here, and take every- Vira shook her head violent for a moment before giving the man a nod. "Right, I'll see what I can do." She then set off down the stone path toward the blue palace, the hunger wrapped around her like a heavy blanket. As she walked past the flowers grown in the courtyard of the palace they wilted and died just as quick.

Sneaking through the door to the Abandoned wing, she stood up looking up and down the cobweb covered hallway, beginning to take steps forward her stomach grumbled again, pulling a soul gem from it's place in her bag she clutched it tightly in her hand as it gave off a faint glow, she the hunger was overbearing, she needed to ear something or she would go insane. Ignoring the butterfly that just landed on her shoulder she looked around the forest like area, thinking of something to eat before she paused for a moment staring in confusion. Her nose burning with the smell of Magicka, She was just inside of the place but now she's out in the middle of a fog covered forest. "More tea, Pelly my dear?" Vira turned around to see a strange whitehaired man, wearing what seemed to be a pseudo jester costume that was purple on one side and red on the other, Across from him was...Pelagius, a mad emperor long dead, she was becoming more and more confused, raising a hand the journal appeared and flipped open, Vira beginning to quickly flip through the pages in search for something but having trouble finding it. Only looking back up after she heard the sound of a summoning spell finishing, staring at the strange jester like man she slowly moved closer.

 **Vira:** "Excuse me? I've a message for you from a uh...mad man just...outside." [The sound of foot steps on grass and dirt, followed by shuffling in place.]

 **Unknown Man:** "Reeaaaallllyyyy? Ooh, ooh, what kind of message? A song? A summons? Wait, I know! A death threat written on the back of an Argonian concubine! Those are my favorites. Well? Spit it out, mortal. I haven't got an eternity! Actually... I do. Little joke. But seriously. What's the message?"

 **Vira:** ".......Right.......I've been asked to tell you to return home...wherever that might be."

 **Unknown Man:** "Were you now? By whom? Wait! Don't tell me! I want to guess! Was it Molag? No, no... Little Tim, the toymaker's son? The ghost of King Lysandus? Or was it... Yes! Stanley, that talking grapefruit from Passwall. Wrong on all accounts, aren't I?" and digress, "Ha! No matter! Honestly, I don't want to know. Why ruin the surprise? But more to the point. Do you - tiny, puny, expendable little mortal - actually think you can convince me to leave? Because that's... crazy. You do realize who you're dealing with here?"

Vira felt her blood run cold as she stared at the very mad man in front of her, the hunger mixed with fear to become something in between, watching him carefully as she took a very small step back. Realizing she needed to be very careful in everything she does from here on, as she was no longer on the material plane, the hunger had driven her to a point where she hadn't even acknowledged that fact.

 **Vira:** "I'm afraid I don't know, Sir."

 **Sheogorath:** "Wrong! Actually, you do. Sort of. I am a part of you, little mortal. I am a shadow in your subconscious, a blemish on your fragile little psyche. You know me. You just don't know it. Sheogorath, Daedric Prince of Madness. At your service."

Daitte walked back into the room to find the Strowe staring at the roof and Horns asleep next to the door, it had been hours now, Vira hadn't returned to the room yet. The wood elf knelt down nudging, one of Horns' horn. "Horns, wake up. Have you seen Vira at any point today?" The Foresworn opened an eye to stare at Dai before grunting out a "no" before standing up and stretching. Moving across the room to grab a cup to fill with water, Dai stood with a sigh walking over toward the bed where the man was laying. "Hey, you dead still?" she propped her foot up on the edge of the bed, crossing her arms over her knee. "No, I'm very much alive, which I assume I have you two to thank for that?" Strowe sat up slightly to look at them, the soreness having died down finally. "Three of us, actually. The third one is around somewhere running errands probably. she the proverbial brains of our little band." Strowe looked the bosmer over for a moment before turning to look at the Breton who was currently eating nearby, sitting at a table, a venison chop in her hand firmly. "I uh...see, so where am I? Your friend there didn't answer me when I asked." He turned back to look at Dai with a serious expression, waiting for an answer. "Currently? A tavern called the 'Winking Skeever' inside of Solitude, inside of Skyrim. You're lucky to be alive honestly. I'm surprised you didn't freeze to death where we found you." Strowe reached up to rub his chin, staring at Dai for a long moment before nodding slowly. "What about my crew? Did they survive at least?" Dai looked over at Horns who had started actually paying attention to the conversation before she looked back toward the man shaking her head. "We only found you, clinging to a barrel for life." Dai nodded her head over toward Horns. "she carried you back here, Vira- our missing leader- payed for your room here until you get better enough to stand and talk and you know. Be alive." Strowe nodded as she slowly leaned back with a sigh, rolling his shoulders as he looked between the two. "so uh...who are you two anyway?"

Vira stood at the edge of the arena as the two atronachs fought each other. Holding the wabbajack tightly in her hand having been given it to go about...repairing the mad emperors mind. Just holding it staved off the hunger, it was slowly feeding off of the artifact. Drawing her attention back to what was going on in front of her she looked between the two creatures battling down below in the gladiator pit, before looking up toward Pelagius and the two guards on either side of him, looking back down she charged the wabbajack and fired it down at one of the two atronachs, watching as it turned into a flame one fighting against the storm atronach.

 **Sheogorath:** "The objective here is simple, you simpleton! Use your Wabbajack to defeat the enemy, while they do the same!"

Vira looked up toward the sky where the voice came from then back down toward the pit, furrowing her brow as she casted the wabbajack again this time at the storm atronach, looking between the flame and now frost atronachs battle each other, before she looked up at the mad emperor and his guards, her eyes narrowing deeply for a few moments before she charged the staff again, blasting one of the guards. Both of the guards turned into wolves, lunging for their once charge tearing into his flesh as his screams filled the air of the mad man's mind. Then all at once the two atronachs, the wolves, and Pelagius himself disappeared all at once. The mad god's voice filling the air again.

 **Sheogorath:** "Oho! I thought you'd never figure it out. With the threat gone Pelagius is under the delusion that he is safe, which means you've helped him out... sort of. And we're that much closer to home." Vira nodded to nothing and no one in specific, turning and starting to walk back toward the center of mind.

Looking toward the two other paths she needed to take, beginning to se down another leaning on the wabbajack slightly. The longer she stayed here the more she found she was having trouble keeping her thoughts aligned and her goal the same. Sucking in a deep breath she closed her eyes as she walked, reminding herself of how her father treated her. Of how the other children treated her, Ignoring the voice in the air as she walked, coming to a bed with a sleeping Pelagius on it. she let out a long sigh as she pulled back the Wabbajack as she was told she'd need to wake him, firing at the man there was a slight quake of the ground and a red cloud appeared, a wolf charging out and lunging for the heavily armored mage. Even in the mind, it still hurt, the wolf tried to bury it's teeth into her armor. Unable to get further then denting it, she blasted it with the Wabbajack turning it into a goat after another shake and a puff of red smoke. Looking back toward the man she pulled the staff back again, blasting the sleeping man again. This time a warrior clad in armor similar to Vira's charged forward at her, She just barely had time to pull up a ward to block the ebony mace being brought down on her skull, using the shattering of the ward to blind the warrior a moment she blasted them with the staff. Another puff and shake then the "warrior" was a sultry maiden, her dress was cut up to her hip and there was far to much cleavage. Vira deadpanned staring at the sleeping man then looking toward the maiden. "I'm glad you're dead." Was the only thing the mage said as she continued on doing this process a few more times with progressively dangerous creatures. ending with a pseudo party going on, as Pelagius finally woke up and walked over toward the campfire sitting down. Sheogorath: "Well now, that's something to crow about. With Pelagius up and about you're moving right along. We'll both be home in no time."

Vira held her abdomen, the last creature a undead that floated off of the ground and casted spells, hit her with a firebolt right to the stomach, her armor burned her. she healed what she could but even still her body ached in pain because of it. She made her way back toward the center then beginning to make her way toward the final path of madness, she continued to try and heal the pain in her stomach but even then it never stopped. Halfway to the last trial she stopped dead in her tracks, an objective look of fear on her face. The spell had hit her, her body didn't eat it like it normally did, she was confused as that's what -always- happened. The fact that it didn't was for more worrying then she thought it would be if she ever found a way to fix it. Poking at herself in confusion she closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Rationalizing that it was just the fact she was inside of someone's mind as to why her body didn't eat the firebolt. Staring blankly ahead for a moment before she considered only for a moment that she was going insane based on her last thought before moving forward stepping into the small opening where what looked to be an imperial soldier was currently brutalizing a far smaller Pelagius. Listening to the mad god for a few moments she nodded in understanding. The large one was his anger, the small one was confidence, there needed to be a balance. She smiled slightly as she charged the staff, blasting anger and shrinking it in size by a bit, but it was still bigger then his confidence, so she did it again. Then blasting his confidence with the staff, it grew larger. She blasted it again growing it in size, repeating it over and over until it towered over the anger. Eventually two ghost like apparitions wielding battleaxes started attacking the small anger as well. the Mad god's voice echoing out again.

 **Sheogorath:** "Wonderfully done. Pelagius is finally ready to love himself... and continue hating everyone else."

Making her way back to the center a final time, she breathed out deeply as she spoke to the mad god for what would hopefully be the final time.

 **Vira:** "I...I fixed his mind."

 **Sheogorath:** "Hmmmm... 'Fixed' is such a subjective term. I think 'treated' is far more appropriate, don't you? Like one does to a rash, or an arrow in the face. Ah, but no matter. Heartless mortal that you are, you've actually succeeded and survived. I am forced to honor my end of the bargain. So congratulations! You're free to go! I... have been known to change my mind. So... go. Really."

Vira watched the mad god carefully for a few moments, listening to him talk as she gripped the wabbajack tightly in her hand.

 **Sheogorath:** "Pelagius Septim the Third, once the Mad Emperor of Tamriel, now so boringly sane. I always knew he had it in him! Well, I suppose it's back to the Shivering Isles. The trouble Haskill can get into while I'm gone simply boggles the mind... Let's make sure I'm not forgetting anything. Clothes? Check. Beard? Check! Luggage? Luggage! Now where did I leave my luggage?" Vira shivered, jumping slightly as the mad beggar from earlier appeared clapping his hands and dancing slightly as he speaks.

 **Mad Beggar:** "Master! You've taken me back! Does this mean we're going home? Oh, happy times! I can't wait to..."

 **Sheogorath** : "Yes, yes, that's quite enough celebration. Let's send you ahead, shall we? [The sound of a conjuration spell starting and finishing] And as for you, my little mortal minion... Feel free to keep the Wabbajack. As a symbol of my... Oh, just take the damn thing. You take care of yourself, now. And if you ever find yourself up in New Sheoth, do look me up. We can share a strawberry torte. Ta ta!"

Vira found herself weightless for a few moments before she fell a few feet and landed on her back in her room at the inn, tilting her head as she looked at her two travelling companions and their rescue, Lifting the wabbajack in her hand and waving it slightly.

 **Vira:** "Got an artifact.."

With that Vira closed her eyes and passed out, tired, sore and hungry.


	6. Setting sail

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> From here on most of the chapters should be a bit longer at most, though it might go from me posting every day to every other day so I can extend the length so on and so forth. Ah and to explain a bit, The back and forth is treated as Subtitles in game, if you haven't guessed it, I'm using Vira's journal as a stand in for the reason the dragonborn has quest markers, subtitles and other things like that.

Vira woke up on the floor where she passed out last night, though she at least had her armor removed and was blanketed. Horns was being taught how to play dice by Daitte while Strowe was flipping through some books, a look of mild confusion on his face. "Are all the books she has about ancient history or Daedra? Does she not have any of the more interesting stories like 'beggar'?" Strowe complained looking over toward the two. "Don't know, ask her when she wakes up." Horns grunted over her shoulder before looking down at the dice as the rolled across the table, landing on a four and a six. "Ha! I win again." Daitte shouted out clapping her hands before coughing as horns stared at her. Vira finally sitting all the way up getting attention from the three in the room. "Oh, she isn't dead. Wonderful." Strowe said plainly, putting the book back into Vira's pack where he had gotten it from. "No, I'm- one moment." Vira paused holding up a finger as she waved her free hand, as in a purple burst of flames, Vira's journal appeared floating in front of her slightly and flipping through the pages she stared at it for a long time before standing up beginning to look around franticly before spotting it in the corner near her belongings, a iron staff with the face of the mad god imprinted on three sides of the tip. All showing a different emotion.

 **Vira** : So I didn't go insane. **[Footsteps on a stone floor before a feminine sigh.]** This is the Wabbajack, an artifact of Sheogorath. The Mad God.

 **Daitte** : "....Where did you even get that? and why did you appear in the room smelling of sweat, embers and cheese?"

 **Vira** : "Well...It started with me heading to the blue palace to speak with the court wizard, Then it turned into a beggar asking me to get his master to return- which so happened to be Sheogorath- and after rambling at me a bit gave me a uh...hip bone? which granted should have been a pretty big red flag. Then I went into the abandoned wing of the blue palace somehow ending up teleported into the mind of emperor Pelagius Septim the third. where The mad god was having a uh...dinner? With Pelagius inside of his own mind. He then gave me the Wabbajack and sent me about repairing the mad emperors mind dealing with his paranoia, self-loathing, and confidence. After finishing that he congratulated me on repairing the mad man's mind and then started to prepare to leave. He let me keep the Wabbajack for entertaining me and then I was jaunted from the mind and well. Yeah. Here I am."

There was a incredibly long silence as the trio listened to the mage's ramblings on her location the previous day and the acquisition of the chaotic daedric artifact. Daitte letting out a long sigh, Horns looking uninterested as she turned back to the dice, picking them up and throwing them again grunting as she fails again to role above the number she chose. Strowe however was rubbing his chin in thought.

**Strowe** : "well, what do you plan to do with the artifact since he has given it to you?"

 **Vira** : "Well...Actually, who are you anyway? Well I know who you are. I mean...Why are you still here? I assumed you'd be trying to get a boat back to wherever you came from?"

 **Strowe** : "Ha...I'm Strowe. Former ship captain, not a captain seeing how my ship is at the bottom of the sea now thanks to that nasty storm a few days ago now. Though your friends here did tell me about how you just got a ship and don't really know how to sail it yourself. You'd need a captain, no?"

Vira took a few moments to think on the mans words. he was right to some extent, she wasn't a sailor. Neither was Horns or Daitte. Having an experience sailor in your debt for saving their life would always be useful.

 **Vira** : "What do you want in return for captaining our ship?"

 **Strowe** : "It's simple, Take me with you. I'll be honest I've a few people hunting me down. And you three look like you can protect yourselves pretty well. So traveling with you all will let me have a better chance for survival."

 **Vira** : "ah, Speaking on reasons for traveling together we all should be upfront with what we want from this arrangement."

 **Daitte** : "what do you mean?"

The other two turned to look at Vira, Strowe moving to lean against a wall crossing his arms. Dai pulled her legs up into her chair crossing them under herself, and Horns leaned further back in her chair, propping her arm up on the back of it as Vira looked between the three.

 **Vira** : "We are all traveling together for different reasons that....work well with each other, You're looking for your brother. Horns has no where else to go. He's hiding for his life amongst us and I'm hunting for power."

 **Horns** : "You are wrong. I stay because I find you both entertaining and you two seem to end up fighting more often then not. Which is something I enjoy greatly though while I do not speak often or on many things such as magic do not mistake that for ignorance."

Vira watched Horns for a few moments before waving her hand dismissively as the barbarian crossed her arms in response.

 **Strowe** : "Why do you want power?"

Vira turned her attention toward the captain as she thought on how to answer the question.

 **Vira** : "Revenge. I'm a...strange type of High-elf. One born without their own source of magicka like everyone else. I gain magicka through absorbing it from those around me. even now my body is sapping what innate magic you three has to keep my own at it's utmost zenith."

Strowe raised his eyebrows in response a bit before nodding a few times, falling silent as Dai decided to ask a question of her own.

 **Daitte** : "Well I think me and Horns already agreed to help you with that if you help us with our own things. Finding my brother and...finding things for Horns to fight. **[A rough grunt could be heard.]** So with that all settled...what's our plan from here? I mean...what's our goal?"

 **Vira** : "Well. If I gain power that means us as a group does, and with power comes standing, with standing comes influence. We can adjust and change the world through such influence. Both magical and political. if we become large enough then your brother will find us, and if not we will have the resources to locate him easier. Horns, if we grow in power more people will come to challenge that, meaning more battles for you to partake in. as for you Mister Strowe. With that power you could defend yourself from whoever comes after you." 

The three looked between each other as they listened to the Mage's plot, Horns slowly for the first time smiling as she nods, being the first to agree. Daitte furrowed her brow seriously in consideration staring at her friend as she nods again in agreement. Strowe stepping off the wall and giving a small simple bow, immediately grunting as his body was still store from the hypothermia and bruise he got from slamming into the water so hard.

 **Vira** : "Good, The easiest path to power- well, I say it's easy but there is always a price for power- Is through artifacts of ancient times. Such as the powerful undead only found in Skyrim. "Dragon priests." **[Fluttering paper.]** According to a handful of months of research, rumor listening, and generally paying people to find out what they could. There are a total of eight dragon priest that entombed inside of Skyrim to be found, each with a powerful mask that did a large amount of different things depending on who you ask."

The journal floated in front of each of the three allowing them to see the list of names, only two where actually there on the list. "Otar" and "Rahgot", It then flipped to another page listing well known daedric artifacts.

 **Vira** : "Next is through deals with the Daedra. I will not force any of you to partake in any outings to do with these deals if you do not want to. Though doing so would make it easier to gain power however that might be. As you can see, I've already gotten one of them." **[Tapping of iron on stone.]** and outside of the Daedra, generally just me learning more on all the schools of magic also help with this. to that end we will be setting sail to Dawnstar. and from there crossing the icy glaciers to the east to Winterhold where there is a place I learned about during my first week here in Skyrim. The College of Winterhold. A school of magic, from there I'll be able to learn all sorts of things on magic and hone my craft the best I can. There are also multiple ruins in the area that might be worth investigating."

Daitte frowned at the news they'd be going somewhere even colder then the region of Haafingar. Vira noticing her friends displeasure nodded in understanding before adding.

 **Vira** : "Don't worry, Dai. We'll stock up on a lot of food and water. I've also already bought dwarven oil to help with starting fires in the cold for when we set up the dome. Speaking of which I practiced a bit in my free time. Now it's just the dome without the extra bits along with a campfire in the center. So we can keep warm and set up our sleeping bags. Ah, and there is these. **[rustling before a soft sigh.]** With a bit of practice I enchanted some fur cloaks to bring a bit more warmth, though I only made three as I didn't expect our Captain here to be joining us. So he will be taking mine, as I can keep myself warm with my spells if need be."

Vira tossed each of them a rolled up black cloak. The furs warm to the touch and made from what looked to be wolf fur given their blackish-grey colors. Strowe giving a small chuckle and a nod before speaking up himself.

 **Strowe** : "I Don't suppose you have a spare set of armor and a sword I can use?" 

Vira tilted her head for a moment before looking their her journal as it floated back in front of her. Giving a nod.

 **Vira** : "We do actually, would you prefer the fur armor and ebony sword, or the Steel plated armor like mine and a dwarven mace?"

 **Strowe** : "First one please."

Vira passed the items over to the man as he stepped behind one of the wooden blinders in the room, changing into the fur armor with a content sigh. As Vira turned back toward her journal flipping through the pages, looking at the spells that she found tomes for, having torn out the pages from the tomes themselves and reattached them inside of her journal. Nodding twice they all decided to prepare for their trip right.

**The Deck of the Sea Scourge**

Vira stood behind Strowe who was currently manning the wheel, the crew moved about the deck of the ship, all of them dressed for cold weather as they where heading to the colder half of Skyrim. Her white hair flowing slightly in the wind. She leaned on the railing near the wheel as she glanced at Strowe out of the corner of her eye. The man was tanned for an imperial showing he spent a lot of time outside, presumably on the sea. His golden eyes reminder her of magnus it's self, the sun to be specific, not the architect, the slight smug expression on his face however reminder her of her own father, which she could only feel absolute distain for. Closing her eyes she breathed in the smell of the cold salt rich air of the coast.

Down below Daitte and Horns where exploring the ship's renovations Vira had worked on, now where there was a large hold room was a pseudo Tavern and kitchen and just on either side of the room where doors leading to the sleeping quarters. above that was a flight of stairs that lead toward the back of the ship, which held a three person room. Three beds each given what Vira assumed each of them would need. The middle bed had a bookshelf instead of a nightstand, that was already completely filled, the right bed was more of a hammock. Hung up off the ground by a connection to either side, near the Hammock was a small table with what looked like a bone carving of Y'ffre, the wood elf god, on the other side however was the opposite. A sturdy bed reinforced with iron and heavy furs on each side. A target dummy and a table with different food on it, much to Horns' pleasure walking over and beginning to eat. Dai walked over to the hammock, gracefully hopping into it as she leaned back crossing her legs as she started to sway with the groove of the ship. "Hey, Horns?" The Foresworn turned her eyes toward Dai as she chomped into a piece of bread that was on the table now sitting down next to it in a chair. "Mrhrem?" Dai turned on her side still swinging back and forth on the bed. "Do you believe in anything? Like- I've always wanted to ask if the Forsworn have like...a god that follow or what. I'd ask normal ones but they usually just try to kill me." Horns grunted in response before leaning back her eating slowing to a stop as she nods slowly. "I Follow gods yes. Well, Not me personally. I believe that only I should hold my fate. However the forsworn as a hole usually follow and worship the Ravens- hagravens by what nords call them but we also worshiped Aedra and Daedra." Dai nodded slowly as she listened, it was close to Bosmerii religion but at the same time different. "Actually- How are you so...well spoken? and Learned?" Horns raised an eyebrow and offered a shrug. "I did not kill every non-foresworn I met. I learned from some of them, specifically an arcane scholar. He taught me how to read, and with reading came understanding. Though at my basis I still enjoy more brutish things." Dai only gave a 'Huh' in response to the answer as she leaned back, staring at the ceiling as she swayed back in forth. This time it was Horns who initiated a conversation. "What of you Daitte? What is your home like?" Dai smiled as she leaned back, happy that Horns was finally starting to act as if they where friends by starting the conversation, sitting up to answer the question. Letting her legs hang off the Hammock as she continued to swing. "Valenwood? It's beautiful. Trees that touched the clouds themselves, bigger then any tree here in Skyrim, Homes built into roots and trees and branches using an ancient magic taught to us by Y'ffre." Horns tilted her head leaning forward slightly as she tried to imagine the sight before shaking her head a few times. "I can not imagine that, Do you use these woods for arrows?" Daitte shook her head as she closed her eyes. "Nope, we have a thing called 'the green pact' it says we can't harm the plant life there in Valenwood in anyway, and that if we kill something that we should use all of it and not waste any of it. Meaning if we hunt we usually use everything from the game we killed." Horns nodded in understanding at the second part. "It's good to use everything, leaving things to waste helps no one." Dai's smile widened as she nodded. "Exactly. that also means...er...People we kill in combat, though not everyone follows that part of the Green Pact." Horns eyes widened a bit as she nodded twice now. "I see, Our cultures are similar but different, I would like to learn more about it if that is acceptable." Daitte opened her eyes to nod smiling toward the giant breton. "Course, just ask me whenever."

Vira had moved off toward one side of the deck close to the wheel, sitting on a box that was left over from the cargo of the ship, she crossed her legs pulling a book free from her pack beginning to flip through it. Strowe glanced over as he kept one hand on the wheel and the other resting on the pommel of his sword, watching the sea in front of him, occasionally glancing toward the coast. "What are you reading?" he questioned eventually out of boredom. "Liminal Bridges." Vira replied dully much to Strowe's disappointment he sighed watching the crew for a few moments before whistling down toward one of them pointing at the sails and then pointing at the sea as he felt the wind shift to start blowing out from the coast, hoping to create some drags incase a rogue iceberg revealed it's self they could have enough time to move out of the way. "Well...What's it about?" he questioned after falling back to silence as the sails where being shifted. "Transportation between Oblivion and The Mortal plane through the use of items called 'Sigil' stones." He turned to stare at the high elf blankly for a few moments before asking. "A Sigil stone? What's that?" Vira flipped a page of the book, crossing her legs. "A sigil stone is a specimen of pre-Mythic quasi-crystalline morpholith that has been transformed into an extra-dimensional artifact through the arcane inscription of a daedric sigil." Strowe simply turned back around and went silent, the only thought in his mind was; 'What the fuck is a quasi-crystalline morpholith'. Vira gave a soft chuckle at the mans reaction having glanced up at him before deciding to continue the conversation, looking back down into her book. "Tell me, where are you from? You're an imperial yet you don't sound like others." Strowe raised an eyebrow but didn't turn to look at his employer. "Because I wasn't born in Cyrodiil. I'm from Hammerfell actually, grew up there...From Rihad exactly. It's a port city and I was on the sea from a young age, so I suppose I'm more at home on a ship then on land eh?" Vira tilted her head in response leaning back against the railing having closed the book and let it rest in her lap. "Hm, was your family at least from Cyrodiil?" Strowe shrugged a shoulder in response. "Couldn't say, never met them. My 'father' isn't my blood father but I still consider him it none the less. He found me in the desert, crying and almost in the middle of a heat stroke. He saved me and raised me. Him and my mother." Vira's expression softened slightly though the captain never noticed as she looked out over the sea. "I see, I'm sorry to hear that. Have you ever though on going and trying to find your actual parents?" Strowe snorted. "For what? They left me to die, that makes them worth less then skeever shit." Vira this timed shrugged, placing a hand down on the book in front of her. "You never know, they might have had a good reason for it. Perhaps to protect you or something of the sort?" Strowe almost growled as he turned his head to glare at her. "Drop it, I don't want to talk about this. No offense you did save me yeah, but I'm not about to talk about those vermin with you. I barely know you." He then turned back gripping the wheel even tighter as he focused on getting them to Dawnstar in one peace, a light snow beginning to fall. "Right, apologies. I'm going to let the others know we're halfway there now." Standing up Vira started making her way down the stairs close to the wheel, and turning entering the door to the lower decks and into their room where Horns was currently standing next to Daitte who was lounged in her Hammock. Horns was holding the small image of Y'ffre turning to look at Vira as she entered raising an eyebrow as Vira put away the book in her bag summoning the journal to float in front of her flipping through it.

 **Vira** : "We're getting close to Dawnstar, just to restate the plan, We stop in the inn within Dawnstar, get extra food and water, along with some firewood if it's available then heading east to Winterhold."

The two nodded toward the mage who glanced over at them for a few moments in thought before looking back down at the journal, beginning to flip through pages as she looked for something specific.

 **Vira** : "I've also...attempted to create a spell of my own creation- well, I say spell but it's an enchantment of sorts, I'd like to test it actually."

Daitte and Horns looked to each other as Dai set up in the hammock, Horns crossing her arms.

 **Horns** : "What is the enchantment? Is it dangerous?"

 **Vira** : "well no, not exactly. It allows you to communicate with someone who holds an item of similar enchantment. I've not had a chance to test it so I do not know if it would work or not."

 **Horns** : "Alright, how does it work?" 

**Vira** : "I need something important to you, something with a strong er...attachment. You see there is a form of magic like this already within' the school of conjuration. But it requires a master of the school and I am an adept at best, Hence why it needs to be an enchantment to help close that gap, I read on it in a book a few weeks ago, and I've already attempted it on a personal item of mine."

Vira turned slightly, pulling a gold and silver circlet from her bag, holding it up as it glowed a very faint purple-blue.

 **Vira** : "It was the only gift I ever got from my family, My mother got it for me."

Daitte looked between the two before hopping down, going to her pack that was down near her armor, digging through it for a few moments she took out a second bone flute, far older then the one she made almost a month ago now, holding it out. 

**Daitte** : "This was my fathers, I've had it as long as I could remember really."

Horns looked at Daitte offer up the object, taking it as a go ahead for herself, she reached into one of her pouches pulling out a small amulet decorated with feathers and bones. Vira took both of them very gingerly and moving toward her own bed in the center of the room, placing them out she began to caste a spell. Daitte and Horns watched out curiously, Daitte a bit worried that it might break the flute. Much to her relief it didn't as they started to glow the same color as the circlet.

Vira: "There we are...Now to see if it works."

Vira gave them back their items as she placed the circlet on her head, Horns placed the amulet around her neck holding it up to look at it before letting it rest against her, crossing her large arms as she turned to stare at Vira. Daitte placed the flute in a specialized spot in her belt, hooking it securely, Vira closed her eyes and took a deep breath as she reached out. "....He...ll..o?" Horns raised her eyebrows her hands going up toward her head in confusion for a moment as Dai blinked in surprise before clapping. 

**Daitte** : "Well it works at least, that's a bit weird. Gonna need time to get used to that- Horns you alright?"

 **Horns** : "I....Yes, That was just....an odd feeling, I will get used to it with time."

Vira nodded to them both before sitting and laying back on the bed.

 **Vira** : "Right then, I'm going to be turning in for the rest of the trip. We will have to hit the ground running I'm afraid."

With that Vira, Horns, and Daitte each returned to their collective room sections climbing into their resting places with a soft yawn coming from Daitte as she started swaying again. The Trio beginning to drift off, Meanwhile Strowe continued watching the horizon, the sun having just set made way for the moon. Strowe looked up at it with a shiver running down his spine raising a hand to touch at the bone amulet around his neck, turning his eyes toward the shore as he swears he could hear a faint howl.


	7. Gaping Maw

Daitte had climbed up to the top of the main sail, her cloak tightly around her as she watched the coast slowly go by, glancing downward at the crew moving around, Spotting Horns helping them move some heavy crates out of the way. Vira and Strowe stood at the wheel, Vira standing in her usual set of Steel plate, though it's been modified with heavy furs under it to keep warm. Strangely Strowe was the only one who didn't seem to bothered by the cold, Vira watched him warily seeing how he was from Hammerfell he shouldn't be used to the cold like this. Strowe himself had the cloak Vira offered to him wrapped over his shoulders, the fur armor had been tailored to suit him better, the front was split like a V down the middle. His bonehawk necklace centered in the middle of his chest, swinging lightly in the cold breeze.

The Sea Scourge finally arrived in the port of Dawnstar, Vira was the first on the dock her Journal floating in front of her flipping through pages as Strowe got the crew settled and the ship squared away. Horns stepped off the ship onto the wooden port, the boards groaning faintly under the woman's weight, Daitte rode on Horns' shoulders gripping onto the horns as to not fall off as she looked around curiously.

 **Vira** : "Right...There is a place of note here actually. Right before we set sail a courier gave me an invitation to a museum here." **[Water washing upon the shore, groaning of boats and birds crying]**

 **Daitte:** "What kind of Museum? Hopefully something interesting."

 **Vira:** "It's on the Mythic Dawn. A cult from the last Era who ushered in the Oblivion crisis in which they killed the emperor and resulted in the throne having no one of dragon blood. The "Hero of Kvatch" helped stop them and close what portals to oblivion appeared in Cyrodiil."

 **Daitte** : "Well. That is pretty interesting."

Horns let out a short snort as she turned her head slightly to look around at the small port city with general uninterest as Strowe finally joined his companions.

 **Strowe** : "Right, the crew is all set, should have enough food onboard to keep them feed for a month, maybe two, If push comes to shove I left them a few coins to use amongst themselves incase they do run out on our little venture here."

Vira glanced back at the man nodding, her eyes resting on the necklace for a few moments. Strowe raised an eyebrow at her before pulling the cloak tighter around himself, hiding it from view. Vira blinked twice before turning as the Journal disappeared from view, turning and walking away toward one of the cabins. Horns glanced up at Dai who only gave a shrug in response before the giant began moving after Vira. Stepping into the building Vira looked around for a moment before eyeing the man in red robes, the others stepping inside shortly after her. Daitte hopping down off her friends shoulders she moved around the room peering at the different objects on display. Four old tomes that seemed to be covered in dust, a page of paper that was burned on and torn, Daedric runes lined every inch of it that was visible. Strowe glanced around the room before crossing his arms and leaning back against the Wall, a hand resting the pommel of his ebony blade. Vira had moved to the corner of the building, speaking in hushed tone with the museum's Overseer. Eventually turning around Vira clapped her hands together before turning back around and shaking the Overseer's hand for a single moment. Then turning back to her companions she motions for them to follower her outside.

Once outside she all but collapsed one hand going to her stomach, the other going to the ground to support herself as the three looked at her in confusion. Daitte and Horns going to either side of her as Vira stared at the ground, her stomach grumbling angrily. "Something is here...This happened before I found the wabbajack." Vira rasped out after a few moments of breathing standing up and leaning on Horns slightly as she looked around, her eyes trailing upward toward the tower that stood oppressively over the town. She slowly tried to move toward the tower only to be lifted up by Horns, Daitte shaking her head. "You need a break, whatever -that- was, it kicked your ass." Vira only grunted in response as they started lead her up toward the tavern.

Entering inside of the Windpeak Inn, a small crowd surrounded a priest of Mara, a dummer man. Vira was placed at a nearby before Daitte and Horns turned their attention to watch what was going on, Strowe patted Vira's back slightly as he turned his eyes toward the group as the priest put up his hands. "Everyone, please. I'm doing what I can to end these nightmares. In the meantime all I ask is you remain strong and put your trust in Lady Mara." The dummer sighed as the crowd dissipated, Daitte looking to the others before walking over to the dummer. "What's going on?" He turned his head in the direction of the wood elf sighing as he began explaining again. "The Entire town is plagued with nightmares, sadly there is little I can do about it." Dai couldn't help but let out a soft laugh, a thin red eyebrow raising. "Nightmares? They're just dreams." The Dummer shook his head. "They are not just vision of the mind, they are due to the influence of the daedric prince Vermina." Dai blinked twice before looking over toward her companions. Vira finally standing having calmed from the sudden episode as she walked over. "Is that so? would you happen to know how to stop it?" The dummer's brow rose as he looked up toward the heavily armored altmer. "You would help? All of you?" his eyes turned past her and Daitte toward the other two who where staying back and just watching as of now. "That is correct." Vira spoke out regaining his attention as he nodded. "Very well, Follow me please. I am Erandur." Erandur then started walking out of the tavern motioning for them to follow. Vira followed with an intense look of concentration on her face as she walked.

Outside Erandur began to lead them up a path to the south of the town, heading up the hill the four walked after him, Horns sticking close to Vira incase she had another episode and needed to be carried as the moved along. Daitte had her bow at the ready and an arrow notched, Horns had taken to wearing heavy ebony gauntlets over her hands while keeping to her general purpose furs and leathers for armor. Most of the group ignored the priest as he rambled on about the history of the temple and what happened to it. Vira could feel the artifact pumping out magicka in copious amounts. Her stomach grumbled gaining a glance from Strowe before he went back to watching their surroundings. Eventually entering the ruin, the room was filled with wooden pews. Some of them had been turned over, others where completely destroyed. Walking up toward the large image of what looked like Vermina, Erandur unleashed a torrent of fire from his hand, eventually the statue became opaque. He stepped through followed by the group. Stopping in front of a barred window down below in a half dome of purple and orange magic was a staff with some horned creature's skull upon it's tip. "There is the staff of Vaermina's creation. It is the cause of the nightmares of the people here in Dawnstar. Vira leaned on the bars her gauntleted fingers wrapping around them as she stared down at it, her face blank as she turned toward the priest. "What will we do once we reach it?" Erandur looked over at her, a torch in his free hand now as he turned toward the stairs leading further in as he answered. "Once we reach it I'll be able to destroy it with Mara's blessing."

The group met the first few moments of resistance as two orcs and a single priest slowly came too, the Miasma that was keeping them asleep had already began to dissipate. Horns and Vira had started acting as the vanguard, The Priest between and behind them with Strowe and Daitte flanking him on either side. Vira threw a spike through a priests skull before he could stand up fully, pinning him to the ground as blood dripped off the icicle and onto the ground. Horns however took a more hands on approach, gripping one of the orcs by his leg and swinging him full force into the wall causing a horrifying crunch noise before stepping forward to the second before he got all the way up and stomped down on his skull, coating her fur covered foot to be matted in blood, brain and bone. Erandur didn't say anything about how brutal they where in their efficiency, instead focusing on the task at hand. Eventually they all arrived at a glowing barrier, Vira walking forward and placing her hand on it, creating rippled along it's surface. "Damn it all, they put the barrier up. Vira turned her head to stare at him, her eyebrow turning upward. "You know a lot of this place. Why is that?" Erandur took a step back a moment before sighing. "I suppose there is no point in hiding it any longer. I was once a priest of Vermina and ran from this place before the Miasma took me." Strowe let out a stifled snort as she looked off and down through another set of bars overlooking the Staff. "I see, do you know how to get past this barrier then?" Erandur looked between Strowe and Vira before nodding. "I do, We need something called Vaermina's Torpor. We can find the recipe for it within the library here, thankfully I still have my key." Vira turned her head back toward the barrier a moment before stepping away, clutching her hands. "Then by all means Priest, lead the way." Erandur nodded turning and walking back up the stairs to a door they passed.

The priest unlocked the door as Daitte glanced at Vira for a moment before she followed Erandur further in, coming into a large two tiered library filled with multiple burned books. On the above part two more orcs and a priest slowly stood up, The priest was lifted by his legs by Horns and smashed back down on top of a still waking orc. Breaking multiple bones of the priest and the orc she smashed with him. The other orc was stabbed through the skull by a ebony blade in a quick and smooth movement. All while this was going on Vira had picked up one of the closer still intact books turning it over in her hands. 'Varieties of Daedra'. She slid it away into her pack before looking around for the priest as Daitte and Strowe moved downward to the lower levels, a priest and a orc slowly rising only to receive two arrows through both of their skulls ending the resistance they planed to give. Vira turned her head to look at Erandur for a few moments before looking around the Library. "What are we looking for here, Erandur?" Erandur was digging through a pile of ruined book as he looked over toward Vira. "A book called The Dreamstride. It contains the recipe for the Torpor." Vira nodded once as the group began to look around, Dai and Strowe took the lower floors while Vira and Horns searched through the above ones. Eventually Horns helped up the large book in a hand moving back over toward the priest letting him take it. "Good, This has exactly what we need."

Moving into the alchemy lab of the temple, finding a few more orcs and priest that could be dispatched with the same consistent ease. Erandur moved over toward one of the benches beginning to create the torpor as Strowe moved to stand next to Vira, his hand dropping to his pommel again, lowering his voice. "So I can assume you aren't actually going to let him destroy the staff are you?" Vira turned her eyes to glance at him before looking back at the priest. "Of course not." That was all Strowe needed to know about how they where going to operate in the future, giving a slight smile and nod as he moved over toward the stairs glancing down them toward the next door. Erandur turned back to the group holding a large bottle of liquid that swirled purples and oranges. "This will allow you to dreamstride, once you ingest it you will fall asleep and awake as someone else and live through their memories, you must only reached the barrier from the other side." Vira slowly took the bottle looking over it for a few moments. "Why do you not do it?" Erandur shook his head as he took up his torch again. "I can not as a sworn priest of Mara, it would not work for me. It only works on the unaffiliated and Vaermina's priests." Vira let out a quiet sigh before the looked to her group and giving a single nod before downing the drink.

Opening her eyes she stood amongst two other men, speaking on the invading orcs. Vira even found herself speaking on it before she began to run through the temple, for once in her life she didn't feel the hunger, at least not here. She assumed it was because she's technically asleep right now. She didn't have much time to think on it as she sprinted through the temple, sprinting past multiple groups fighting each others, the orcs where savage in their attacks and the priest casted powerful spells where they could. finally reaching a pull chain with a soul gem in a small brazier under it. Reaching up she tugged it before everything went dark again. When Vira came too she was on the other side of the barrier, her companions and Erandur staring at her through it with looks of different levels of curiosity and amazement before Vira herself looked around for a moment. Walking over toward the pully she tugged it downward deactivating the barrier allowing them to continue deeper into the temple.

After another handful of confrontations with those who where left in the temple the group reached their goal. Now at the bottom of the steps leading up to the place where the staff was held, Erandur walked up them and put his hands up. "It will take me all but a moment to get this barrier down, then we can destroy this horrific staff." Daitte glanced at Vira as if for a gesture on what to do. Vira stood still with her arms crossed watching quietly for the barrier to be broken. Once it was finally done Erandur began to recite a prayer to Mara. Only for it to be cut off by a icicle to pierce through his back, sticking out of his front as he looked down at it, blood seeped and dripped off of it. Turning to look at the four, Daitte had looked away her eyes closed unable to watch before he toppled down the stairs, rolling over himself before coming to a stop in front of Vira who's hand still dripped cold mist. Erandur tried to speak even as his mouth filled with blood. Vira stepped over him and up the steps wrapping her fingers around the staffs shaft as her hunger slowly lessens as she places it on her back. Looking down toward her friends as she stood at the top of the staircase, the skulled staff peering over her shoulder. "Right then. Ready to head to the college then?"

The Four trekked out into the snow, leaving Dawnstar behind after they stopped by the tavern again to resupply and inform them that the priest left after we completed in stopping the nightmares. A Obvious lie but it would save people from wondering down into that ruin. The snow crunched under them as Daitte reclaimed her spot on top of Horns' shoulders looking around at their white and blue surroundings as she spoke. "Hey, Strowe." The Captain glanced back and up at her before looking back at what he was doing stepping carefully through the snow. "Yes, Daitte?" The bosmer watched him as she crossed her arms on top of Horns' head resting her chin on them. "How come you where coming all the way to solitude from Hammerfell? They aren't apart of the empire anymore, and Solitude is still under Empire control." Strowe paused for a moment before snorting. "What I was doing wasn't exactly legal, Daitte. That's why we where coming in during the night. I was smuggling a few...interesting things." Daitte's brow rose, obviously interested by the context. "Oh? Like what?" Strowe shrugged. "Matters little now, everything is at the bottom of the sea." Was the only response given before Daitte returned her her bored expression going back to looking around as Horns remained silent, moving through the snow with a clumsy grace. Vira was quiet, using the end of the staff that was newly acquired to check for drops beneath the snow as she walked. "Is it always like that?" Strowe asked looking at the back of Vira's head then back downward toward his feet as he kept walking. "No, Usually not as intense, It has been getting worse sense I came to Skyrim, which is either a sign of it becoming stronger the longer a live, Or I can feel the magic that radiates from areas in Skyrim and my body reacts by trying to violently reach out for it." Vira explained in a quick fashion as she pressed the staff down through the snow, coming to a stop above a a broken area of the glacial sheets. A old door half buried in the glacial wall. "We're going to set up camp down there. It's relatively clear of snow and looking at the position of Magnus we've only four more hours of light, so It's better to stop now before It becomes colder." Daitte gave a thumbs up in response followed by a grunt from Horns turning and beginning to move off to the side having spotted a easier way to get down without having to climb. Strowe and Vira followed after her, Strowe whistled to himself as he followed.

Arriving to the relatively empty space, Vira began casting a spell. The Captain watched with curiosity before Vira finished the spell, a blue-purple dome slowly spreading out until it was around thirty feet. A campfire appeared in the middle, lighting on fire as Horns moved into it and took Daitte down off her shoulders and plopped down on the stone ground. Crossing her legs and raising her hands outward toward the fire as Vira set up the cooking pot. Daitte dug through her own pack pulling out vegetables and beginning to peel them with a bone knife. Strowe moving into the dome and sitting down opposite of horns, glancing at Vira and Daitte. "So." Daitte began. "What's the necklace? You've been wearing it since we found you, figured you'd sell it by now to get better clothes or something." Strowe stared at the Bosmer before sighing rolling his shoulders before leaning back supporting himself on his hands. "It was a gift from a Shaman I met maybe four to five years ago now. She saved my life and gave me this before she sent me on my way." Vira had paused in what she was doing to listen for a moment before tilting her head. "What does it do? It's obvious that it's magical." Strowe turned his golden eyes toward the high elf before shrugging and looking off showing he didn't plan to speak on it. Though to everyone's surprise Horns spoke up. "That was fun. The fighting I mean. It was far more entertaining then I thought it would be." Daitte gave a strange look toward the giant woman before shaking her head and looking at the fire. "I don't feel we had to Kill the priest. Perhaps we could have incapacitated him or something?" Strowe snorted. "No, He definitely would have followed us out here in an attempt to get it back. I know his type, They don't give up." Daitte wrinkled her nose at the imperial before looking back down at the fire with a sigh. "I guess, so. He was a good man." Horns patted Daitte's head. "I am sure he is with Mara now with how devoted he was to her." Vira didn't speak, focused on fixing their dinner for the day. After a few minutes of a comfortable silence they all where set around the fire eating a potato stew that held meats of different kinds. Horns eating three bowls full due to her rather large size. Eventually of them laid down in their respective sleeping bags. Before Vira laid down she casted a new spell she learned that summoned a chest from the ship. Taking the staff off her back and sliding it into the seemingly impossibly large chest she then pulled the Wabbajack free placing it down next to her sleeping back before going to lay down herself. Sighing as she drifted off to sleep along with her companions.

Having woken up early in the morning they all set out following the path from the excavation site they had set up in last night. Daitte having decided to walk this time around and was following along side of her friends, sticking close between Vira and Horns. Strowe followed slightly behind them as she whispered softly so that only her two closer allies could hear. "He's weird, isn't he?" Vira raised an eyebrow as she lowered her own voice. "Why is that? He seems rather normal from what I've seen from Imperials." Horns leaned down to give her own opinion. "He smells odd. Like a wet fur coat." Strowe nodded as he head moved up behind them while they where talking. "it's called perfume, I like it but if it's -that- bad I'll be sure not to wear it anymore." Daitte almost jumped out of her skin as she jumped forward stumbling a bit before catching herself. "It's fine! Great! Don't change it! we where just talking about how much we like it. Right guys?" Daitte looked back and forth between Vira and Horns almost pleading as Vira stared before shrugging. "I suppose." Horns only grunted in response as she stood back at her full height trekking along through the snow. Eventually the group crossed a ridge between two mountains. The town of Winterhold was before them.


End file.
